


Code V

by loriku



Category: K-pop, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Adorable Kim Taehyung | V, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Happy, Businessman Kim Seokjin | Jin, Crime Fighting, Developing Friendships, Dimension Travel, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Forehead Kisses, Friendship/Love, Happy Ending, Humor, Jeon Jungkook is a Brat, Kim Seokjin | Jin is So Done, Kim Taehyung | V is Bad at Feelings, Kim Taehyung | V is Whipped, Kim Taehyung | V-centric, Kissing, Minor Violence, Mischief, Neck Kissing, OT7, Original Character(s), Romance, Screw Destiny, Soft Kim Taehyung | V, Strong Female Characters, Surprise Kissing, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, World Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:46:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 52
Words: 99,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28500969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loriku/pseuds/loriku
Summary: "You can't go out," Taehyung said."Huh?""They're going to be staring at you." He casted his gaze downwards, a look of annoyance tugging at his attractive face."I don't want them looking at you."***In a fanfiction universe full of cliches, absurd plot-proceedings, and a depressing number of death flags, Clarity is determined to do everything in her power to live past her predestined bad ending.BTS mafia AU — but with an unexpected twist ;)
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook & Jung Hoseok & Kim Namjoon & Kim Seokjin & Kim Taehyung & Min Yoongi & Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung | V/Original Female Character(s), Kim Taehyung | V/Reader
Comments: 105
Kudos: 77





	1. Welcome

**Author's Note:**

> — Daily updates! New chapters everyday until it catches up to the most recent one on Wattpad hehe 
> 
> (find Loriku on Wattpad if you want to read ahead!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LORI:
> 
> To avoid confusion, this chapter is the overview of the 'fake' fanfiction inside this fanfiction, if that makes sense. Just think of it as the story that Clarity is reading, and would come into play later on.
> 
> The first three chapters are out on AO3 now. New updates will come out everyday, but you want to read ahead recent chapters can be found at Loriku on Wattpad. Enjoy!

**_BOOK_ :**

To Be His Possession

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

**_SYNOPSIS_ :**

It all started when you were sold off to the notorious organization, Senyu Corporation, by your mother in order to pay off the family's debt. Treated as a possession, the next thing you knew, you were auctioned as a product in the underground black market. As all hope seemed to go down the drain, things took an unexpected turn when the CEO of Bangtan Corporation, Kim Seokjin, purchased you off the black market at an enormously high cost.

However, you were barely given time to breath as you realized that although proper on the outside, Bangtan Co. was secretly affiliated with criminal society as a mafia organization. Having accepted your identity as a wanted individual by the underground people, you were forced to become acquainted with members of Bangtan Co. in order to survive. However, as the distance closed between you and the members, you came to realize that like you, each of them lived with their own secrets. Particularly, you couldn’t help but be drawn towards a certain member as you learned that behind his cold appearance was heart full of compassion.

Eventually, you found yourself struggling to make a decision between love and freedom as you're caught amidst the battle for power, greed, and authority. You would soon realize that whatever decision you make, its direct consequences would drastically change your future and those around you—perhaps for the worse.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

_**MAIN CHARACTER(S):** _

⤷ KIM NAMJOON

❝I refuse to enter a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.❞

⤷ KIM SEOKJIN

❝I would put efforts into insulting you, but I'm afraid it won't do it as well as nature did.❞

⤷ MIN YOONGI

❝ Get out, you're tainting my vision.❞

⤷ JUNG HOSEOK

❝ If even you consider yourself to be a burden, then you're no doubt one to others as well.❞

⤷ PARK JIMIN

❝It's all about dreams in school, but once you step into society—it's about survival.❞

⤷ KIM TAEHYUNG

❝If the world does not accept you, why not create your own?❞

⤷ JEON JUNGKOOK

❝Only turkeys stare at the sky nonstop during a rainstorm. Don't stoop to the same level as a turkey.❞

⤷ Y/N

❝No one else but myself gets to decide on my own future.❞

_**OTHER CHARACTER(S):** _

➤ Y/N's mom

➤ Secretary

➤ Maid #1

➤ Maid #2

➤ Maid #3

➤ CEO of Senyu Corporation

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

**_COMING SOON_ **

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━


	2. To Be His Possession

Ding-dong! 

_The alarming ring of the door bell echoed within your ears as you were forced out of your sweet slumber. Rubbing your eyes groggily, you pulled yourself out of bed and dragged your feet to the washroom mirror. After giving yourself a few seconds to clear your mind, you stared at yourself in the reflection: the messy h/c hair dangled from your face, and your e/c irises shimmered under the dimming light._

"Y/N! Where are you, brat?" _Mother called from across the room. You couldn't help but flinch at the impatience tone of her voice. The room was only so big, there was no need for her to yell._

_As her footsteps approached your room, you quickly stepped out of the washroom and made your bed, just in time for the door to swing open. Your mother stood in front of your door, seemingly out of breath._

"Why didn't you answer me?!" _She scolded, narrowing her eyes at your unkempt appearance._

_Mumbling a small apology, you quickly threw your hair into a messy bun and pulled your head over an oversized sweater. From the corner of your eye, the flickering light from the obsolete clock displayed 5:30 A.M.._

"What is the matter, Mother? Why are you up so early?" _You asked._

 _At your question, Mother smiled. It was a rare, yet unsettling smile that put an unconscious pressure onto your back. You gulped as a chill ran through your spine,_ "Mother?"

"Y/N—how old are you?"

"Eighteen," _you replied uneasily, not knowing where this was going._

"I've raised you for eighteen years," _she leisurely strode around the room, the floor creaking below her feet. Mother went up to the windows, where she rustled the beige, semi-transparent curtains. Dust descended from below, and you had to suppress an urge to cough._ "It's time for you to repay me."

_Just as she finished her sentence, there was a loud, harsh knock on the door. Startled, you glanced out the window and saw a group of men in suits, standing in front of your house. Parked a distance away from your house was a black Mercedes-Benz, radiating an aura of extravagance as it attracted all the eyes from your small, archaic neighbourhood._

_As your gaze lingered, you couldn't help but notice a silhouette sitting in the back of the car, his face masked by the gray-washed shade of the glass window. Even with the car window in the way, you can't help but feel intimidated by his pressing aura all the way from the second floor. Vaguely, his head veered towards your direction._

_Suddenly, you were pulled out of your trance as Mother grabbed onto your wrist, jerking you away from the window. Without a word, she yanked you down the stairs to the front door, where you were met with three body-guards who grabbed onto you._

_Mother handed you a bag, filled with your belongings._

"Here's your things," _she said, not looking into your eyes._ "From now on, we have nothing to do with each other."

"M-mother?" _Your voice was caught in your throat as you stared at her teary-eyed, not knowing what to say._

 _Even though she was harsh, authoritative, controlling—she was still_ Mother.

_A sense of betrayal filled your chest, and you found it hard to breathe. With shaking hands, you tried to take her hand into yours, but she drew her arm back without hesitation._

_Among the body guards, a short-haired women emerged. Elegantly, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with a hand, tipping down the rims of her sunglasses with another._ "Your mother signed a contract with us for a sum of money. You are now the property of Senyu Corporation."

* * *

Clarity yelped in pain as she dropped her phone flat onto her face. Nose stinging, she reached for the glowing device on the ground through her blurry vision. Grimacing, she blinked at the time.

6:13 A.M.

"Hey, it's BTS's debut time," she muttered to herself without thinking.

Shivering from the cold air, Clarity buried herself under the blankets, where she reopened the app, Wattpad. The fanfiction she had been reading throughout the night, _To Be His Possession_ , centred itself on the screen. The dimming light from her phone reflected upon her face, emphasizing the dark circles under her eyes. Clarity shook her head in disappointment.

Another cliche.

"Seriously—what's with Wattpad book plots these days?" She threw her phone to the side, plopping her head onto the pillow.

Earlier the night, Clarity decided to go on another one of her usual fanfiction-binge (despite university mid-terms being in less than two weeks) in commemoration of her successful fight for BTS's concert tickets.

That was when she stumbled upon the book, _To Be His Possession_. Frankly speaking—the plot was mediocre, which was a shame as the writing style was quite enjoyable to read. As an avid fanfiction reader, Clarity had long lost count of how many books she read where Y/N was sold to a group by her parents, fell in love with the rich, mischievous bad boy with a tragic backstory, and ultimately lived happily ever after.

This one was no exception.

The protagonist of the story, Y/N, was sold by her negligent mother to Senyu Corporation, the rival company of Bangtan Corporation. Despite Senyu's original intention to sell her off at the human auction (Clarity couldn't understand why they would sell the ordinary human, Y/N, out of everyone else, but decided it was for plot necessities and gave up on questioning), their plan was interrupted by none other than Kim Seokjin, the owner of Bangtan Corporation.

As expected, Jin bought Y/N off the auction for a substantial amount of money, made a scene, and took her home.

And as expected, they fell in love with each other despite the illogical prerequisite in the story.

Regardless, she read on, as she had nothing better to do (aside from studying for her exams, but let's not talk about that).

* * *

  
With burning eyes, Clarity scrolled to the end of the latest chapter as she read the last sentence, where Jin took Y/N to the banquet to announce her as his fiancée.

"Kim Seokjin, you dumbass," she grumbled, narrowing her eyes from the brimming rays that leaked through the curtains into her room. "Why would you take her to the banquet knowing it'll only put her in danger?"

Fuming, Clarity threw her phone to the side. She didn't expect much, for she had read BTS x Reader fanfiction only to live through a fantasized romance with her bias, Jin. Yet despite her already low expectations, the story somehow _still_ managed to let her down.

In the span of three hours, Clarity had caught up with the story's latest update, and with her longstanding experience as an ARMY and a BTS fanfiction reader, she was proud to announce that this plot was utter bullshit. If she had the vocabulary to do so, Clarity could write a 10-page essay everything that was wrong with _To Be His Possession._

First of all—there was no coherent logic what-so-ever. The main characters fell in love for the sake of falling in love, the conflicts in the story was forced on unnaturally to the point where it was nothing but questionable, and most importantly, the BTS cast was completely out of character.

And by that, she meant _completely_.

The author might as well have created seven original characters and smacked BTS's names onto them.

" _You look beautiful, my little flower_." Goosebumps emerged throughout her back as she shuddered at the cringeworthy line that was tragically given to Hoseok, who not to mention, said it shamelessly.

If that came out of Hoseok's mouth in real life, Clarity might have thrown up.

"Give me my three hours back..." She groaned in exasperation, grabbing her TATA plushie from the side of her bed and putting it into a headlock.

Aside from the Bangtan cast, the original characters were also just there for the mere sake of being a tool. Y/N had a personality of a total Mary Sue, and might as well have been a saint in her past life. Never have she met a single person in her life who would forgive someone who tried to kill her just because... well, just because. If it were for the plot armour, Clarity was sure that Y/N would not make it past the third chapter.

And then there was the Secretary.

The poor, poor Secretary who wasn't even given a name.

Clarity recalled her jaws dropping when author killed off the Secretary just so a character could die, even though her death made no contribution for the plot in any way. Though she must admit—the Secretary was a despicable character. Being the epitome of both a snake and a bitch, the author threw all the bad deeds for her to complete, from framing Y/N to sabotaging the relationship between the main characters. A complete scapegoat for the author's lack of logic.

With a raging storm arising inside her, Clarity exited the story to the author's main page, only to see the account named as Anonymous. She scoffed.

"Good choice putting yourself as unknown, or else who knows how much you're going to get roasted for this tragedy-of-a-plot," Clarity said.

Throwing her phone to the side, she felt a wave of fatigue wash over her. Clarity let out a long yawn. She checked the time: 9:12 A.M.

"I mean... It's not too late to sleep, right?" She said as she snuggled inside her blanket, embracing TATA tightly in her arms.

Pulling her long, silky hair into a loose bun, Clarity let out an exhale as she closed her eyes. As she drifted off the sleep, she wished herself a good dream, hopefully one with BTS.

* * *

  
  
"- _ery... Miss Secretary... MISS SECRETARY_!"

Clarity's eyes shot open at the sudden outburst of a voice. Dazed, her eyebrow furrowed at the unfamiliar environments, dumbfounded. She had woken up on a chair that wasn't hers, a room that wasn't hers, and an unfamiliar person in front of her. She blinked twice.

"...The fuck?"

"M-miss Secretary?!" The foreign boy seemed startled at her sudden cursing. Flustered, he subconsciously tightened his bow tie and checked his watch in an attempt to regain his composure. "We must hurry, or else we will be late!"

The few-second-long buffer seemed to finally wear off as the short-haired girl observed her surrounding. The spotless ground was tiled with porcelain as a giant chandelier hung above what seemed like the common room. Feeling a strain on her back, Clarity glanced down only to see herself sitting on a furniture bench, dressed in a dark suit, with a pair of glasses hanging from her chest pocket.

"We... What?" She asked again. The boy in front of her—almost going through a mental breakdown—stared at her in disbelief, and through his authentic gaze of incredulity Clarity almost thought she was the one going insane.

"We're going to be late!" He shouted, emphasizing each syllable. "To CEO Kim's business conference!"

"CEO Kim's conference..." She said half-heartedly, reciting his words as if they were a foreign language. Clarity stopped as something clicked in her mind.

CEO Kim.

CEO _Kim_?

"Kim Seokjin?" She blurted out without thinking.

The boy gasped at her blunt statement as he frantically spun his head around to check their surrounding. After seeing that everything was clear, he turned to face her, his face red from all the embarrassment. " _CEO_ Kim Seokjin. Do you want to be fired on your first day?!"

 _First day_? Clarity lifted an eyebrow, now more confused than ever.

"Wait..."

Shooting up from her seat, she ran to the nearest mirror, which was extravagantly lined with a golden frame. From the reflection, she saw a short-haired, formally dressed girl, who was almost foreign in appearance except for having the same face as her.

Looking down at the folder she had been clinging on to, Clarity flipped it open with a sharp inhale. The binder's leather cover felt disturbingly realistic as pushed against the cushion of her shaking fingers. Four words were printed in the center of the page in big, bold letters:

**BANGTAN CORPORATION CONFIDENTIAL MEETING.**

The world spun around her, as Clarity felt sick inside out.

" _No way_ ," she reassured herself in a not-so reassuring voice. "There's _no way_ this was happening to me."

What type of crack must she have taken to hallucinate the whole setting of _To Be His Possession_?

Steadying herself from collapsing to the ground, Clarity held her breath to calm herself down. She looked at herself again in the mirror, and she wanted to cry.

"TATA—please save me."


	3. So I’ve Lost It

It took everything Clarity had to not jump off from the second floor while screaming.

Despite the action movie going on within her head, she stood paralyzed with a poker face, pretending to be unfazed in a conference room full of people. Her hand clenched onto the leather folder, as if it was her university acceptance letter. With her heart running in her chest like it was performing cardio, she silently took long, slow breaths to calm her nerves.

At first—like anyone would act when they woke up as a book character—Clarity thought she was dreaming. Eventually however, she came to accept that this wasn't the case when she slipped and fell butt first onto the washroom floor amidst her mental breakdown. The pain was too real to be a dream, and that's when she knew: despite how or who brought her here, the reality was that she, Clarity Moon, was transported into _To Be His_ _Possession_.

A fanfiction full of cliches and absurd plot proceedings. 

In order words—she was screwed.

As more prominent figures poured into the room, all taking a seat in their respective positions, Clarity gulped as the chair in the center remained empty.

The chairman's position. Seokjin's position.

In the original plot, Kim Seokjin was the head of Bangtan Corporation, a renown company in the international business industry. However, Bangtan Co. had a dark secret—an unspoken position, one could call it. One that everyone was secretly aware of, yet did not dare to speak into existence.

Seokjin as the head of the mafia? No one dared to imagine it.

Raised in a sophisticated and noble household, Seokjin was exposed to business procedures and rhetorics from a very young age. His competence was widely seen throughout the industry, leading him to become the youngest CEO in Bangtan Co. He's the face of the company, the representative figure of his field of work. Appointed by his father, Jin attended all the press events on his behalf, while his father took the leadership position of all the mafia events, controlling the scene from the shadows.

In the book, Seokjin was a charismatic, yet manipulating character; his ruthless towards his opponents and careful calculation of all his plans made him an adamant leader. However, as all male leads were, Seokjin had a soft spot for the protagonist, Y/N. It was always a wonder to Clarity as to how exactly he fell for Y/N, as their personalities were hardly compatible, and their chemistry was far from convincing for a relationship.

In fact, Y/N displayed more emotions categorized as fear towards Jin than romantic attractions throughout the story.

Nonetheless, in consideration of her own current situation, this wasn't something Clarity had time to worry about. 

As the meeting proceeded in its preparations, Clarity recalled the plot in her head. As much as she dreaded her new reality as the Secretary, she decided to suck it up. After all, complaints only came after survival.

In her recollection of the fanfiction, the Secretary's death was forecasted in three death flags: the Auction, the Trip, and the Hostage Incident.

The first death flag was during the auction of the female protagonist. When Y/N was forced out by the Senyu Corporation as an auction product, Seokjin felt a pang of empathy (no one knew why) and decided to free her. However, although the original plan was to let her go after buying her off from the auction, Seokjin was attracted by her innocence and naivety, and decided to keep her under the name of Bangtan.

This was where things first went wrong.

The Secretary, who was adamant on pursuing what she believed was the "greater good" for the company, saw Y/N as a threat. She was under the assumption that keeping her by Jin's side would ultimately undermine the whole corporation, bringing doom upon everyone else. So instead of taking her to his dwelling, the Secretary drove her to an isolated warehouse and tried to kill her.

Yeah, smart move.

Clarity sighed.

Obviously, she was caught—by Taehyung, if she remembered correctly. Speaking of the second youngest, it suddenly occurred to Clarity that this Taehyung was an intimidating, composed character who was also a highly competent combatant. Not a bad character persona, but considering that it was him who indirectly caused her death—it was quite difficult to see this character in a positive light.

Clarity shivered. 

In any case, as long as she evaded the whole auction situation, there would be no way for her to be caught.

Right?

Given these circumstances, it was quite clear to Clarity what her objective was: to save herself from her predetermined bad-ending.

All for the sake of survival.

As her thoughts wandered, she was hit by a sudden confusion. In the original fanfiction, the first chapter started with Y/N and her mother, and the announcement that she was sold to Senyu Corporation—that marked the beginning of the plot, and events only unravelled from there. An unsettling feeling arose in her stomach as Clarity stood amidst the pristine conference room, in front of these business participants who were all unnamed characters in an unwritten situation.

Clarity inhaled sharply.

This whole scene wasn't in the book, was it?

The questions that ran wild in her head were interrupted as all the chatters within the room abruptly died down. It was then Clarity knew that the main character was here. Kim Seokjin.

_Wait. Kim Seokjin?_

"Oh my god," Clarity gulped as she realized that this was going to be her first time seeing a member of BTS up close. Not to mention—it's her bias.

Holy shit.

It wasn't until she felt a drop of sweat trickle from the side of her forehead that she noticed the pressure throughout the entire room. Silence saturated the space, the atmosphere tensing to the extent of asphyxiation. For the first time in her life, Clarity was scared of breathing.

This was the power of the main character.

As if she wasn't nervous enough already, her mind completely left her when the automated doors slid open, and all spotlight fell onto the main character.

With a flawless first appearance, Seokjin strode through the room, two body guards trailing behind him. It was no exaggeration to call his existence unreal. His hair was parted to the side with a single stand of hair brushing past his forehead, like a silky adornment of extravagance. His broad shoulders and perfectly defined body structure were prominent with every movement of his muscles, further emphasized by his striking black suit that made him look no different from royalty.

It took everything Clarity had to not drool on the spot.

With a piercing, clear gaze that seemed to contain the entire universe, Jin skimmed the room as a formal greeting, silently asserting his presence. As he walked by Clarity, their eyes met and he seemed to recognize her existence as he gave her a small smile—a smile that she had seen in countless videos and performances that it made her melt within.

" _I don't care,_ " Clarity thought, " _Jin smiled at me. I can die in peace_."

Leisurely, he sat in the chair in the middle of the long conference table, leaning back with elegance. With a signal of the hand, the rest of the people in the room also took their seats.

A supreme being—that was who Jin was in this story. His aura was a dominating, glowing existence. The moment he walked in the room, everyone immediately faded into the background. He had this intimidating, yet alluring presence; it was a wall that the average person could never bring themselves to surpass, yet at the same time, it was a door of invitation for them to appreciate him from afar.

Tears circulated around her eyes as Clarity gazed at her bias with a fond expression.

Indeed, he was the main character.

"I thank you all for coming," he announced, his voice deep with composure. "We have one absentee who will soon arrive. Nonetheless, let us commence without him."

Signalling for the conference binder, Jin lifted a hand towards Clarity, who barely processed the situation as she was still in shock from his smile. Vaguely, she could hear her coworker urging her to "pass it" in the background.

_Pass it? Pass what?_

With her head spinning, instead of passing him the folder, she dumbly passed her hand onto his.

The room fell silent.

The her coworker gasped out loud.

Seokjin's eyes widened.

Seeing the room's unusual reaction, Clarity blinked twice as she finally caught up to reality.

"Holy shit," she said out loud, her hand still in his.

Surprised, Jin's mouth parted slightly.

"Oh my god. I am _so_ sorry." At this point, Clarity's heart was doing acrobatics in her chest as she struggled to find her words. Frantically, she shoved the binder into his hands, ignoring the dumbfounded expressions from the room.

"Please excuse me," she managed to squeak out as she hurried out the room, almost tripping on air as she closed the door behind her.

* * *

The top floor of Bangtan Corporation was dead silent. In the end of the hallway, Clarity hid in the corner of a table, her knees pulled towards her chest. With her head buried into her arms, she breathed in and out with the rhythm of her heartbeat, which was probably beating 200 times per minute.

Yeah—it wasn't calming her down.

Her mind flashed back to all the chapters where Jin merciless ended his opponent's lives through cruel manipulation. She then placed herself in the shoes of those characters. Ignoring her turning stomach, Clarity nodded to herself in resignation.

"Jin is going to kill me," she concluded.

"Why?"

"Because I fucked up—" her voice choked in her throat as Clarity became aware of another presence in the room. Clenching her jaws, she timidly peered up, and almost went blind as she saw eye to eye with the sun. Her heart went wild again as Clarity was convinced that she was, indeed, not going to live past Day One.

His round, sparkling eyes gazed into hers curiously, as if she was some kind of new specimen. Bending over to her level, the man lifted his eyebrows at her unintended response. Ignoring Clarity's panicking state as their faces were merely inches away from each other, he cocked his head and grinned.

"I'm Hoseok. You?" Jung Hoseok chuckled.

And Clarity lost it. 


	4. It Keeps Getting Worse

After the meeting ended, Seokjin walked out of the conference room, only to see Hoseok leaning by the wall with a nonchalant grin.

"Hope," Jin sighed, "You said you were going to be late, not completely absent."

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I was caught up with something—actually, someone," he grinned, eyeing the tiny figure behind him who was too embarrassed to show her face. Hoseok's eyes glinted intriguingly. "Someone _quite_ interesting."

Slowly, Clarity emerged from his back, bowing ninety-degrees before Jin could make any comment.

"Sir, I am _so_ sorry for my behaviour at the conference earlier," she shouted, her short hair dangling down as her eyes were glued to the ground.

People walked past them, but under Seokjin's intimidating gaze they all turned away quickly without saying a word.

Aware of the reactions around them, Clarity kept her head down. Keeping in mind Seokjin's cruel nature in the story, she decide that the best course of action was to admit her wrongdoings.

Without hesitation, and as soon as possible.

She may be a sarcastic asshole in her past world, but here, she couldn't be rash. By exorcising her freedom of speech, Clarity was very much going to get herself killed. In order to survive, she was going to do everything to suck up to Seokjin so she doesn't get on his bad side.

Again—all for the sake of survival.

At her unexpected action, Seokjin was left once again speechless. He exchanged gazes with Hoseok, who just smiled a shrug at the girl in front of them.

"You're the new secretary...right?" Seokjin said.

"Yes sir! The name is Clarity, sir!" The girl replied in her most enthusiastic voice. In the beginning, Clarity wasn't sure whether she should go under an alias since the original Secretary was nameless, but at this point, she had better things to worry about.

"...It's fine," he said hesitantly, signalling her to get up. Jin then turned towards his companion, patting his back as he strode past him towards the elevator. "Come on, I'll have to debrief you on the meeting and the plan."

"Yeah, yeah," Hoseok grinned as he spun around, giving Clarity a wink before heading towards the elevator. 

As the two stepped foot in the elevator space, Clarity was about to take an exhale of relief when the door closed—except it didn't.

Her breath hitched in her throat as the elevator remained open for a few long, long seconds. Eventually, Seokjin's head poked through the elevator door, and despair came upon Clarity as they made eye contact once again. Her eyes unwillingly glued onto the man as he lifted a finger, signalling her to come closer.

"You should come with us as well," he finally said.

His one sentence was enough for Clarity's world to collapse. With each dreadful step, she entered the elevator box with two of the BTS members, into the gates of Hades.

* * *

  
Normally, Clarity would dream to have an opportunity to be alone with BTS members. As an OT7, she would first cry and tell them how much they mean to her, then she would (if allowed) respectfully as for their autograph, but frankly, simply seeing them was enough for her to be satisfied for a lifetime. However, this wasn't BTS. And she wasn't going to ask for their signatures.

Right now, the only thought running through her head was the least painful method of death.

The silence in the elevator was broken by Hoseok's joyful whistling, which Clarity was thankful for as she would otherwise have died of suffocation.

She pleaded for this elevator ride to pass peacefully without any interactions, and as if her wishes were heard, Hoseok conveniently turned to face her with a question.

"You're Jin's new secretary?"

"Yes sir," she responded in the most business-like manner possible.

"Is this your first day?"

"Yes sir."

"Cool, good luck! The man can be a bit hard to take care of, but I know you'll do fine." Hoseok beamed, and Clarity had to mentally shut her eyes because the man in front of her was glowing so brightly.

"Hope, I'm right here, you know," Jin sighed, ignoring the younger man's teasing smile.

Another half a minute passed in dreadful silence, and Clarity couldn't help but gape at the interminable passing seconds. Discreetly, she snuck a glance at the floor number. Her eyes almost bulged out at the three digit number.

Thankfully, she was not acrophobic.

"Wait, aren't we missing someone?" Hoseok piqued, to which Jin shook his head.

"Don't worry, he's already there."

Finally, the elevator stopped, and its door slid open with a _ding_. Jin and Hoseok stepped aside, offering Clarity to exit.

"Thank you," she gulped, half expecting to step into a bomb as a trap. Instead, she set foot onto a surprisingly normal carpet floor, which was saturated with an elegant shade of wine-red. Clarity didn't have to guess to know that they were on the top floor of the building, and she didn't want to know the exact number. She was scared she might threw up if she knew.

Silently, she followed the two man through the daunting hallway, which was deprived of people. The windows to their right opened up a beautiful view of the city from above, and the light shone onto their faces, brightening up the area. If it weren't for her current predicament, Clarity's inner travel freak would emerge and she would certainly throw herself by the window to fawn over the scenery.

"You can take a look, if you wish," Jin seemed to know what she was thinking as he made an offer. Clarity tensed up as she immediately shook her head ferociously from side to side.

"Thank you, sir. I mean—no, thank you! I'm acrophobic!" She lied, perhaps overly enthusiastically.

"I-I see," Jin said.

Pulling herself together, the girl merely kept walking. Trying her best to take each footstep in silence, she was so focused on each stride that she almost crashed into Hoseok, who had purposely stopped in front of her, seeing her intense concentration.

"You're a funny girl, aren't you," he laughed. Clarity simply smiled back her fake, customer-service smile.

_No sir, I'm just trying to live._ She thought, still smiling.

After an endless amount of walking, they arrived in front of two grand doors.

"My office," Seokjin explained briefly as stood in front of a facial analyser that verified his identity.

"Why go through the trouble? Isn't he already waiting for us inside?" Hoseok said as he started banging the door. Clarity's eyes widened in terror at his next words.

"Yah, Taehyung. Open up!"


	5. This is Just...

Kim Seokjin. The leader of Bangtan Corporation. His competency was feared by the industry as he skillfully led the company through countless ups and downs, eliminating any obstacles in their way—be they organizations or its people.

Jung Hoseok. One of Bangtan Co.'s main shareholder. Like Y/N, he was also auctioned as a product in the Market at a young age; he was bought by the Chairman of Senyu Corporation and was treated like a tool. They restricted his every move, causing his rebellious and carefree personality today. In his teenage years, Hoseok met Seokjin and Yoongi through a business banquet, and he's been helping them out ever since. Both flamboyant and perceptive, his social personality helped him establish an international social network.

Not to mention, he is kind of a _party animal._

And then there's Kim Taehyung.

Clarity encircled her hands around the coffee cup as she sat silently on the couch in Seokjin's office, attentively listening to their conversation.

"Senyu's sector group is making their move soon," Seokjin said, tapping his finger on the mahogany table. Behind him was a wide glass view of the entire city, yet he seemed to pay it no attention as his eyes focused on the board of chess in front of him.

Standing in front of the glass, Hoseok peered into the distance, silent as he appeared to be deep in thought.

Another boy was leaning by the edge of the table, his black trench-coat brushing against the wooden surface. Lightly twirling his curls to the side of his face, the man leaned forward, his slender fingers grabbing hold of the knight on the chess board.

"Should we wait?" Taehyung looked up, his ocean-like voice reverberating through the air.

When Seokjin didn't respond, he glanced up, his ash-brown irises peering through his bangs, revealing both their uncontrollable ambition and destructive nature. The corners of his lips curled up as the knight rolled onto the ground.

"Or should I get rid of them?"

As if his question was directed towards her, chills went down Clarity's spine as she almost dropped her cup. With the palms of her hands sweating, she questioned whether she was supposed to be hearing this conversation right now.

Again, this scene was also not in the original plot, all which only further fuelled her nerves. 

Growing up in a family of painters, Kim Taehyung's life was thrown into chaos after the mysterious death of his father. Unable to handle the stress, his mother left him with Seokjin’s family and disappeared.

With that being said, Taehyung spent the majority of his childhood with Seokjin, resulting in his strong reliance and loyalty towards the eldest. As an adept combatant, Taehyung spent the majority of his time in the shadows, carrying out all types of missions. The details, thankfully, were left to the reader's imagination. His mysterious, yet feared identity gave him a nickname—one that Clarity and ARMYs were all too familiar with.

The Variable—also know as V.

Not much was written for Taehyung, for his role in the story wasn't as emphasized as others. However, this was often mentioned by other members when talking about the member:

The biggest disadvantage of Taehyung's opponent was that they were _Taehyung's_ opponent. It was as simple as that.

Perhaps it was exactly because of this reason that made Taehyung one of the indirect causes for the Secretary's death.

In the original story, she died as a result of her inability to protect Seokjin amidst an ambush from an enemy group. Taehyung was enraged, and that put her on the opposing side of the group. That being said, when she was accidentally taken as hostage, no one bothered rescuing her since she had lost her value to the company.

Yeah, a real shitty way to die.

"You don't have to do anything," Hoseok finally said, turning around to the two. "I think Seokjin already got a plan."

Nodding, Seokjin turned his head towards the couch, the others following the direction of his gaze.

All of a sudden, Clarity felt three pairs of eyes piercing into the back of her head as she tried (but failed) to calmly take a sip of her coffee.

She had a real bad feeling about this.

With a deep inhale, she turned around with her fake smile, which dissipated immediately as Taehyung locked his eyes onto hers. Subconsciously, she averted her eyes. As much as she loved Taehyung in her old world, this Taehyung was the harbinger of her death.

In other words, a living death flag that must be avoided.

"Clarity. As your first test in Bangtan Co., you are to blend into Senyu Co. and infiltrate their plans," Seokjin explained in a matter-of-fact tone, as if the words coming out of his mouth wasn't mission impossible. Clarity just stared at him, dumbfounded.

Was he aware of what he was saying right now?

Either Seokjin seemed to not have caught on to her incredulity, or he simply did not care for her reaction as he continued on. "In three weeks, they're going to start moving and collecting humans for their annual Underground Auction. You are to sneak in as one of their carriers and report to me their numbers and characteristics."

"Senyu's been going against us for awhile now. It's time to teach them a lesson."

Before Clarity could reply, she was tossed a folder, which contained information of all the potential victims of the auction. Dazed, she numbly flipped open the pages and skimmed them one by one, barely registering the words and picture in front of her eyes. There was something familiar about the set up of this whole situation that she couldn't put her finger on.

As she flipped through the profiles, she came across a certain women. At first, there was no outstanding about her. With long, wavy brown hair, brown eyes, and a common smile, she had a generic general public face. Yet, it was this relatable face that made it all the more unsettling. Clarity narrowed her eyes at the name.

Yinn Naron.

Y/N.

Then it hit her as she recalled a section of the first chapter.

_Among the body guards, a short-haired women emerged. Elegantly, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with a hand, tipping down the rims of her sunglasses with another. "Your mother signed a contract with us for a sum of money. You are now the property of Senyu Corporation."_

Short hair. Glasses.

Everything was starting to come together.

" _Shit_ ," Clarity thought. " _That was me._ "


	6. They Just Keep Coming

In Ancient Greece, Athenians would come together in the townsquare to hold discussions on whatever issues were relevant to them at the moment.

People would debate about everything—from legislative laws to everyday trifles. Freedom of speech was recognized, and it was effectively utilized by people of all social status. Both new and old issues were debated on a daily basis, and eventually, Athens became a city governed by public speaking and its speakers, the orators. This was developed to be known as today’s rhetorics.

As an aspiring screenwriter, using rhetorics to convince the director on picking her screenplay were considered the norms. In fact, Clarity took pride in the fact that she had never lost a single argument.

Until now.

Logically speaking, if a debate were to start up, she was confident enough in her abilities for her to not back down. However, that was under the condition that a debate were to start up in the first place.

"It is of my awareness that you are new to Bangtan Corporation, but it is also of your obligations to adjust as soon as possible—even more so, considering your position as Jin's Secretary.” With a tick of the finger, Hoseok's sunglasses dropped down from his forehead to his sculpted face, perfectly resting on his high nose bridge.

Hurrying around the different areas of the building, it took Clarity all her note taking skills to keep up with the man's introduction on the company.

Behind them, Taehyung silently trailed behind. His eyes was buried under the rims of his black hood, and his face was largely covered by a mask. Without even trying, his existence radiated an intimidating aura, shunning all who came near his vicinity.

His pressuring aura pushed Clarity from behind as she expedited her footsteps, not daring to look back.

"The Auction is in three weeks, which means you get three weeks to prepare. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll manage. After all, there's got to be a reason why you were picked out of thousands of applications, right?" Hoseok chirped, and he didn't even have to turn around for Clarity to know that a blinding smile was radiating from his face. 

She sighed. "What if it doesn't work out?"

Hearing her question, the brown-haired boy stopped in his tracks, and she immediately shut up. Slowly, Hoseok turned around. Behind her, Taehyung observed the two with a silent, vigilant gaze. The air in the space grew chilly, and at that moment, they both knew the answer to her meaningless inquiry. The former shrugged a smile. One that didn't reach his eyes.

"It _will_ work out."

It was a smile of warning. An unspoken threat.

Clarity shuddered.

Clearing his throat, a bright grin returned onto his face as if nothing had happened. The door to the garage opened up, and Hoseok strolled past the two. He tossed a car key to Taehyung as he turned around, which the latter caught seamlessly with one hand.

"Well, I've got plans for the night, so I'll leave the rest to you," he said cheerily, and Clarity's heart dropped to her stomach. He was leaving her alone with Taehyung, her walking death flag.

_"Don't do this to me, Hobi_..." Clarity mentally pleaded through her intense stare, which the man completely ignored.

Before she could suggest any alternatives, she was interrupted by the roaring engine of a red Ferrari as it stopped in front of them. 

In the drivers seat sat a man with silver hair, which was brushed back slickly to the left side of his face. He was dressed in an attractive black suit, its edges varnished with silver lining. The top of his white-collared shirt was unbuttoned in a manner that was dangerously seductive.

With one hand on the steering wheel, he tipped the rims of his sunglasses with the other, revealing his sharp eyes.

"Hobi, ready?" The tips of Park Jimin's lips lifted into a smirk.

If her life wasn't on the line, Clarity would have swooned right there.

Beginning her internal Morgan Freeman narration, she recollected Jimin's arc in the story.

In To Be His Possession, Jimin took the role of a world-class celebrity. Both an actor and a designer, his influence throughout the industry was undeniable, playing a crucial role in helping Bangtan Co. overthrow their rival companies. Clarity silently eyed the man up and down; and not to mention—he was rich.

Like _rich_ , rich.

Jimin's first appearance was when he partook in the Auction, which was supposed to be in the first chapter. But again, none of the events that happened so far were in the original plot, so Clarity had came to terms with it and decided to hope for the best. Later on, he was found always hanging out by the company, mainly to bother Taehyung and Jin.

Returning his smirk, Hoseok slid into the seat beside him, and gave Clarity and Taehyung a casual salute.

"I'll see you two later. And Miss Secretary—good luck on your mission!"

"No! Don't leave me!" Clarity was about to lose it as the back of the Ferrari gradually faded into the distance, leaving the parking lot empty with her and Taehyung staring at each other like frogs.

Clarity was at the edge of despair. This was not good. Not good at all.

She considered making a run for it, but considering her amateur moves it would only get her killed at a faster rate.

Resigned, she threw a wary glance at the raven-haired man beside her.

"Let’s go," Taehyung said, twirling the car key around his index finger. Clarity blinked twice.

"To where?"

* * *

  
"Oh my god."

Standing before Seokjin's enormous mansion, Clarity failed to hide her flabbergasted expression as her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

Coming straight out of a Hollywood movie, the colossal building reeked the air of royalty as it stood ten meters tall, its crevices lined by ivy and ferns. Brimming lights surrounded the fencing as security patrolled all around the yard outside of its iron gates. At its threshold stood a marbled fountain; layers of water cascading melodiously from the sculpture, resonating in the surrounding silence.

As expected from the rich protagonist of the story, this might as well have been the White House.

Clarity wondered how much tax he would have to pay every year if this was in real life.

"I-is it really okay for me to live here?" Stammering, the girl trailed behind Taehyung as they entered through the front door.

The man raised an eyebrow at her question, and she realized that aside from being the Secretary, the author also threw her the role of Seokjin's housekeeper. "Didn't you already move here during the weekend?"

Did she now?

"Moving here doesn't stop me from admiring the rich. I'd marry my house if I had one like this," she remarked sarcastically without thinking.

Realizing her unintentional casual speech, Clarity's blood ran cold. Taehyung tilted his head, his eyes frowning through his mask as he gave her a weird look.

"My bad, I was talking to myself.” She swallowed nervously, hoping Taehyung would brush off her sorry excuse.

Ignoring her panicked eyes, the black-haired man only pulled the hood over his head and turned around. The bodyguard yanked open the car door, allowing him to slide into his seat. Taehyung rolled down his window and lifted his mask slightly.

"I advise you to be mindful making your way around the house. He doesn't like noise."

"Seokjin doesn't like noise. Got it," she repeated his words, smiling formally. "Thank you for dropping me off today. It was a pleasure meeting you."

Silence filled the space, and Taehyung's lips parted as if he wanted to say something else. However, he ultimately swallowed whatever he was going to add and merely gave her a wave. Clarity gave the car a deep bow as it drove away into the distance, entering the house only after it was out of sight. Once inside, she let out a long, exhaustive sigh.

This was the problem with cliched fanfictions.

The characters were too... _flat_.

Indeed, the brain was better at categorizing information than recognizing its complexity, but to classify each living human under one or two personality traits was just not it. A dominating feature was taken from the character's real life counter parts, then magnified to the point where that became their only defining trait.

In this book, Seokjin was intelligently cunning 24/7, Hoseok only cared about partying, and Taehyung was a mystery who only appeared at convenient times.

Oh yeah—and Jimin was rich.

But in reality, no one can be merciless in everything they do, no one can party all day and night, and no one's existence was merely for the sake of pushing forward the plot.

Shaking her head, Clarity cleared her mind. In any case, her top priority right now was to survive all her death flags and to get on the good side of the members. She couldn't afford to be roasting the storyline.

With a sharp inhale, she leaned forward and opened the door with a strong push. The interior was filled with emerging light, and it took her eyes a few seconds to adjust to the space.

And when she did, Clarity almost screamed.

Amidst the antique-patterned carpet that spread across the floor lied an unconscious figure, its body limp and its silky hair sprawled lifelessly on the surface, like a scene straight out of a horror movie.

Gasping in surprise, Clarity rushed towards the corpse. She kneeled by the body and pressed two fingers by its neck. When she felt a pulse, she let out a long sigh of relief. "It's not a corpse..."

She was fully prepared to escape and spend the rest of her time in this story as a wanted criminal.

Suddenly, it occurred to her the possibility that this was an assassin who had sneaked into the house. Her blood running cold again, Clarity quickly flipped the body over to get a clearer look of its face. The porcelain skin, the cupid-lips, and the long eyelashes dangling from the mono lids—Clarity wasn't expecting to recognize the familiar appearance.

"Thank goodness it's not an assassin, it's just Min Yoongi."

Wait.

She brassily brushed the bangs out of his face, scrutinizing his every feature. Her jaws dropped to the ground.

"Min Yoongi?!"


	7. Some Things Never Change

It took Clarity a good half an hour to drag Min Yoongi's unconscious body onto the nearest couch.

Exhausted, her legs gave up as she fell onto the chair behind her, mentally cursing Seokjin's abnormally large dwelling.

Eyeing the man who was slumped over the couch, Clarity shook her head. Sure, many fanfictions depicted Yoongi as a lazy, cold character, but this was too much.

How enigmatic does someone have to be in order to fall asleep in the middle of the ground?

In _To Be His Possession_ , Yoongi was Bangtan Co.'s prodigy hacker. Holding even more of a mysterious position than Taehyung, he was a total social recluse. Under the code name, Suga, people rarely saw nor knew about him, as his existence was considered as the company's secret weapon. According to the author, his personality descriptions were: lazy, blunt, and into cats. Clarity sighed.

You really couldn’t achieve anything in fanfictions these days without having some quirky character traits.

Ruffling her hair in frustration, she then saw a rustling movement from the corner of her eye. Immediately, Clarity rushed to the couch only to see Yoongi pulling himself up, groggily glancing around his surrounding. Suspicion rose upon him when he noticed an unfamiliar woman staring at him with anticipation. In response to his confusion, Clarity rose her hands in front of her chest in defence.

"My name is Clarity Moon, and I am Mister Seokjin's new secretary," she quickly explained, "I saw you unconscious on the ground when I came back, so I took you to where you are now."

In his currently disoriented state, Yoongi seemed to be buffering as he slowly processed her every word. Clarity, on the other hand, took his silence as an invitation to continue.

"This may not be my place to say but... You shouldn't be sleeping in the middle of the room like that. It looked quite worrying," she smiled kindly, speaking in a way someone would explain common sense to a child—which was how she saw him. In Clarity's eyes, this Yoongi, along with the rest of the BTS cast, were just a characters from a cliched book that was lacking human logic.

Satisfied at her tactful suggestion, she glanced up only to see Yoongi stare at her as if she was insane.

"Did it appear to you like I was sleeping on the floor?" he said incredulously, "in the middle of the _entrance_ _hall_?"

Dumbfounded, Clarity watched as the man lifted his light-coloured hair that covered the nape of his neck. She gasped as it revealed a large, swollen patch of red. 

Obviously annoyed at her naive reaction, Yoongi strained his neck from side to side to make sure it was still intact, grimacing at the sharp pain. He then yanked out his phone from his pocket, angrily punching in digits on the number pad.

"W-what happened to your neck?" Clarity stuttered, too shocked to think properly.

"What happened...you ask?" Putting down his phone, Yoongi repeated her question. Then with a patient (not) smile, he spoke to her in a way someone would explain common sense to a child.

"I was attacked, dumbass!"

* * *

  
  


"So you heard a sound at the entrance, came down because you thought I was home with fried chicken, and was assaulted by the intruder?"

Sitting on the bed as he was surrounded by the members, Yoongi nodded with a huff, not forgetting to shoot a glare towards Clarity's direction. Lifting an eyebrow at the light-haired man’s discontentment, Seokjin turned towards the girl. His sharp gaze told Clarity that he wanted an explanation.

"This may sound bizarre and illogical—" she commenced carefully, trying to not sound like an absolute fool, "—but I really did think he was sleeping. I heard rumours that everyone in Bangtan Co. were very, uh, peculiar individuals, so I guess that presumption clouded my rationality."

She turned to Yoongi in a 90-degrees bow. “Sir, I am _so_ sorry."

In the corner of the room, Hoseok stood silently with his back towards the group, struggling to contain his laughter.

"This is why you should go out more, Yoongi.” Ignoring the man's piercing glares, Jimin bursted out laughing, clenching his stomach as his back curled over. "You have such an unique reputation to the public that people must think you're a cat or something."

Her mind flashing back to all the Twitter memes in the other world, Clarity gulped.

"My apologies. You must have been startled, with this being your first day of work and all.” Seokjin turned to her with an empathetic look.

Slightly taken back at his unexpected attitude, Clarity frantically shook her head. "Not at all, sir! It was partially my fault for jumping to conclusions."

How should she put it—she would have expected this Jin to be more... _authoritative_ , taken in context of the plot and all. His stark contrast from earlier in the day was almost a baffling phenomenon as Clarity witnessed his seamless adjustment from the CEO of Bangtan Corporation to Kim Seokjin, a brotherly figure to the rest of his members.

"Come to think of it.” Yoongi glanced around the room. "Where's Taehyung?"

"He went chasing for the culprit," Seokjin explained as he took a seat by one of the chairs. "You know that's how he is. Plus, the culprit must have had some skills to be able to sneak into the house like that."

"Could it be... Senyu Corporation?" Clarity asked.

"Possibly, but not necessarily," Jimin shrugged. "After all, although they're one of our rivals, they're definitely not the _only_ one."

The weight of his words pushed the room back into silence, as everyone was secretly aware of the ugly truth behind that statement.

"Oh man, let's stop talking about work at two in the morning." Out of nowhere, Jimin pulled out a bucket of family-sized fried chicken. "Instead, let's have some midnight snack!"

Yoongi's eyes visibly brightened at the sight of the food, and from his gaze Clarity caught a glimpse of the 26-year-old rapper from BTS. As he reached for a drumstick, the lid was closed shut by Seokjin's palm.

"Before you stuff your face with carbs, promise me that you'll definitely be careful from now on. Either go out, or lock yourself in the three-layered security door to your room. Don't just hang around the living room,” Seokjin scolded, raising an eyebrow.

Yoongi rolled his eyes dramatically. “What? So I'm not allowed to take a stroll in my own house now?"

"Hey—it's my house too!" Hoseok exclaimed.

"Mine too," Jimin added.

Clarity blinked twice. "You all live together?"

"Yeah, what about it?" The boys answered in unison.

"Why would anyone choose to live by themselves? That’s just lonely," Jimin shuddered, gaining mutters of approval from the others.

Their matter-of-fact tone brought upon a wave of nostalgia, unconsciously warming her heart. As she watched the boys bicker, she felt an unexplainable feeling of homesickness. This was a scene that she had witnessed countless times in BTS's documentaries, variety shows, and daily blooper videos. Without herself realizing, a smile had made its way up to her face.

Despite being in another world, taking on a another identity, and living another life—some things haven’t changed.


	8. Under the Moonlight

Tapping her pen impatiently against the wooden table, Clarity stared at the pile of documents in front of her eyes in despair.

How was she expected to memorize all of these personal profiles when she couldn't even get down the multiplication table?

As the date of the Auction approached closer and closer with each passing day, Clarity's apprehensiveness grew with it. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail, leaning back into her wheelie chair as her gaze locked onto the pinned profile at the center of her wall.

Yinn Naron.

Another walking death flag—perhaps even more deadly than Kim Taehyung.

Throughout her time in To Be His Possession, Clarity came up with a few rules that seemed to govern the book. 

First: escape was possible, but highly discouraged. During her stay in Seokjin's mansion as a housekeeper, she had attempted to escape on multiple occasions—be they during the morning or the night. However, she soon realized that the world was vast;even if she had escaped the Bangtan members, she would not be able to survive with no money, food, nor connections.

Second: there seemed to be some unknown source that tied her to the rest of the cast. Unlike Clarity's original impressions of this world, she was surprisingly free to act and do as her heart desired—only under the condition that she was to stay aware of her role. Here, Clarity wasn't a reader. She was a direct participant in the plot.

Third: To Be His Possession held more complexity than she had expected. Sure, the characters and plot set up were cliched, yet frankly speaking, her experience proved to be nothing close to a plot procedure. Sometimes, the story flowed so smoothly she barely considered it a prewritten. Each supposed "dialogue" that came out of the characters' mouth seemed so natural, and as time went on, it felt like the fanfiction this world was based on was merely bits and pieces of something bigger.

Rather than the world following the fanfiction path—could it be that the fanfiction merely acted as a recording medium of the events of this world?

Regardless, her biggest worry right now was still her own survival. The Auction marked the commencement of the rolling plot, which meant that she had until Auction Day to develop an amiable relationship with the members to increase the possibility of them sparing her life—if it ever came to that. Once the female protagonist makes her debut, that was when things were truly going to change. Clarity recalled all the interactions she's had with the members so far, and a sigh escaped her lips.

Easier said than done.

Wasn't the main character supposed to have a plot armour or something? Despite being a side character (an useless one, at that), Clarity thought she was at least worthy of a pity upgrade, considering everything she's been through.

"I mean come on, a university student without any combat experience, teleported into a mafia-based alternate universe—there's got to be something fundamentally wrong with that." Cursing the author once again, she snapped the portfolio binder shut and stood up from her hair.

The hand of the clock ticked systematically, it's rhythmic pattern drumming against Clarity's ears in this deafening silence. Realizing that it was almost the morning, she quietly made her way downstairs to make herself some coffee, careful to not disturb any of the members' sleep. Aside from her and three other housemaids, it always occurred to Clarity as strange as to why Bangtan did not hire more people in the vacant household.

"We don't question rich people logic, nor do we complain about the plotline," she grumbled to herself.

As she tottled down the spiraling, auburn stairs (which was totally unneeded extravagance), a shadow flashed behind her. At first, Clarity thought she was hallucinating, yet by the second time it brushed behind her back, she knew that it was another intruder.

Clarity's blood ran cold. Should she call for help? Make a dash for it?

Before her mind could decide on either options, her speedy footsteps had already betrayed her as it carried the rest of her body, barely keeping balance as she skipped every three steps. Almost flying down the stairs, it suddenly occurred to Clarity that she was moving at a speed unforeseen through her nineteen years of living. Was her character setup? The muscle memory in her body?

Nonetheless, for the first time since her arrival in this book, Clarity felt _competent_.

"Oh my god. I can actually do this," she thought.

Turning around, she pivoted swiftly as she evaded a punch coming from the hooded silhouette, immediately retaliating herself with a powerful reversal kick. Clarity's dumbfounded expression matched the intruder's as her foot made impact with the opponent's head, sinking into his skull and straight up knocking the man unconscious. Successfully landing her move, she watched as he fell onto the ground.

Clarity gaped at the scene in front of her before manually pushing her mouth together.

"I did _not_ just do that."

"Yes, you did."

Upon hearing the deep voice, Clarity spun around to see Taehyung emerged from behind the walls. Under the brimming moonlight, his bold features were softened by the translucent rays of light that landed softly onto his face. Unlike their last two encounters, Taehyung wasn't wearing a trench coat. Instead, his slim yet defined build was prominent under the black short sleeves that revealed his biceps.

" _Clarity—don't drool,_ " she thought to herself. Collecting her composure, she quickly grabbed a nearby rope and tied the intruder from the behind. "You were here all along?"

Ignoring her question, Taehyung crouched next to her, taking the rope out of her hands as he adroitly secured three loops around the man's unconscious body.

Taking his silence as an affirmation to her question, Clarity crossed her arms. "You were _testing_ me?"

"No. I was evaluating your competence to survive in this household," Taehyung said, glancing up at her. "Do you know why we keep bodyguards and working positions here to a minimum? It's because they never last long."

At his blunt statement, Clarity's breath hitched in her throat as she was once again remained of the cruel nature of this book. 

She looked at the captured man, then at herself. It wasn't Clarity who had knocked him unconscious, it was the remaining consciousness of the Secretary. For some reason, she knew—she knew that it was the book's unspoken rules that had brought her back to deal with this dire situation, otherwise Clarity would have died right there.

All for the sake of pushing the plot.

Unconsciously curling her hands into fists, Clarity clenching the rims of her sleeves with frustration.

"What would have happened if I failed to capture him?" She asked.

"Then I would have helped you get rid of him, then fired you and have you be gone by sunrise."

"Why go all the extent to fire me? I would expect you to murder me so I don't spill any confidential information," Clarity remarked sarcastically as she pushed herself up. As she was standing up, Taehyung grabbed her arm, his firm hands encircling her wrist.

"I would never do that.” His voice was surprisingly sincere as he gazed into her eyes.

"Why not?"

The dawn of light emerged from the shadows, descending upon the two through the windows. Enclosed by a halo of golden light, Clarity gulped as she faced the ethereal being before her.

"Because you did not do anything deserving of death."

After a few seconds of silence, the grip on her hand loosened as Taehyung stood up, pulling her towards him. His unexpected strength caused Clarity to stumble in her steps, falling into his arm.

Flustered, she quickly stood back. With her heart experiencing a volcanic eruption, Clarity fumbled with her hair in an sorry attempt to seem indifferent. Taehyung seemed to also be taken back by the unexpected contact as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

"Regardless, you pass.” The raven-haired man cleared his throat.

It was at that moment.

Something flashed in Clarity eyes as she watched as him extended his hand towards her. She felt that the man standing in front of her was neither an adaptation of the BTS member, nor was he the superficial description of the combatant in To Be His Possession.

He was just Kim Taehyung.

A calm, box-like smile was visible on Taehyung's face, confirming her intuition.

"Welcome to the family, Clarity."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all!
> 
> I hope this chapter was not so confusing because it was intended to be a clarifying-ish chapter on the nature of the mafia fanfiction.
> 
> So far clarity mostly saw all the people she's interacted with as characters in a plot; she was looking through her lens as a reader, but perhaps the incident with tae provided an instigating change to her perspective?... ;) 
> 
> Oh, and for anyone who wanted a visual reference of their dwelling—just watch the black swan mv LOL
> 
> Look forward to future updates!


	9. Out of Character

"Good morning, Miss Secretary," Jin said, smoothly moving past Clarity to grab the tub of mint chocolate ice cream from the refrigerator.

The sight of a top CEO enthusiastically tearing open the lid of an ice cream tub was an interesting combination to the eye, and she couldn't help but observe the scene with amusement.

Sensing her lingering gaze, Seokjin raised an eyebrow facetiously. "Looks like you had a good night's sleep."

Well aware of her prominent dark circles, Clarity mentally rolled her eyes.

Three days have passed since the invader incident, and she hadn't got a sound night sleep since then. It wasn't her fault. Every time Clarity closed her eyes, the image of Taehyung reaching out towards her with glorious light cascading in the background would reemerge in her mind, fully disorienting her thoughts.

" _You did not do anything deserving of death."_

His raspy, yet calming voice reverberated in her ears. There was something reassuring about the way he spoke; as if a mysterious force was dragging her in, opening her eyes to a new reality. One thing for sure: the Taehyung in this story was proving himself to be was more than just a side combatant.

The way he interacted with her, his complex trail of thoughts, and his realistic emotions—it was beyond something a pre-created character could do. 

Aside from Taehyung, she had a feeling that all the characters in this book were more than they seemed to be.

Speaking of unravelled possibilities, there was another person as well.

The Secretary herself.

Throughout these three days of experimentation on her physical capabilities, Clarity came to the pleasant conclusion that although her consciousness had travelled into this body as Clarity Moon, her physical body in the book still belonged to the original character. This meant that all of the Secretary’s abilities were something she was also able to recall with sufficient practice.

Recalling Seokjin's words about the Secretary being chosen from thousands of competent applicants, Clarity couldn't contain her smile.

With this character upgrade, her chances of survival had increased substantially.

Across the table, Seokjin eyed her weird expressions with wariness as he shoved a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

Suddenly, a thundering thud reverberated through the room, almost causing him to catapult his spoon across the room. Exchanging an apprehensive gaze with each other, the two shifted their eyes to source of the ruckus.

Outside the window, a tractor was delivering an artificial cherry blossoms tree to the middle of the front yard, demolishing the previous fountain. Within the tractor sat a familiar driver, the back of his head as around as a coconut as his dark brown hair puffed from the rumbling machine. Cautiously, Clarity jabbed a finger towards the outside disruption.

"You're renovating your house?"

"No.” The man shook his head. Clarity raised an eyebrow at Seokjin's resigned sigh.

"It's our youngest."

"Huh?"

"Jeon Jungkook. He's been watching anime recently, so he wanted to build a cherry blossom tree to—according to him—fit the vibe," he explained, uneasily eyeing the dust that was arising from all the construction.

Clarity was dumbfounded. The story said nothing about Jungkook having an anime obsession.

In the book, Jungkook was portrayed as a playboy who messed around all the time. Adventurous and wild, he was unbounded by the rules of society. He had little appearance in the plot, as he was busy immersing himself in all kinds of thrilling activities—skydiving, bungee jumping, lava surfing, you name it.

Little did she imagine that her first encounter with this Jungkook would be between a window and a tractor.

"Come to think of it, what happened to the invader from the other day?" Clarity cleared her throat, regaining her composure.

"He confessed, of course." Smacking the tub onto the table, he scoffed a confident smile. "The man was sent by Senyu, which was hardly a surprise. Good news, however, was that we were able to extract valuable information about their Auction Day plan, including ways for you to blend in with Senyu’s bodyguards."

“...How thoughtful of you.”

At the mentioning of her undercover work, Clarity mentally frowned. She lifted her gaze sheepishly, embracing the ceramic coffee cup that radiated heat to her palms. Time passed more quickly than expected, and before she knew it, the Auction was only a week away.

"I've made plans for you to accompany me on a personal schedule later today," he said, strolling past her to grab his coat.

Clarity tilted her head in puzzlement. "Personal schedule for what?"

Gracefully slipping his arms in the sleeves of his blazer, Seokjin adjusted the fitting of his glossy, black tie with a slight tilt of his neck. His fingers brushed against his flawless hair as the man examined himself in the mirror, satisfied with his appearance.

The tips of his lips curled upwards in an ominous smile.

"I'm in the mood to blow some cash."

* * *

Surprised was an understatement as Clarity stood awestruck at the rows of employees that simultaneously bowed as Seokjin entered the store.

The designer shop, oozing with luxuries, was the epitome of the high-end destinations present in every billionaire fanfiction. Glancing around the empty store, she didn't have to be told to know that the employees had all other customers emptied out in preparation of Seokjin's arrival.

"Welcome, Mister Kim!" Their voices boomed in absolute unison, attracting the attention of passerbys outside the store.

Clarity attempted to bury herself behind Jin's broad shoulders, dying from the secondhand embarrassment.

Even as a side character, she wasn't able to escape the cliched scenarios within the story.

"Go on, pick anything to your liking," Seokjin announced. "Take it as a reward for your role in capturing the intruder."

_It's here—the iconic line said by countless rich fanfiction characters!_

"Oh sir, but I could nev-" as Clairty proceeded to decline the offer, reacting in line with her character design, she stopped herself as an epiphany suddenly dawned upon her.

Ever since her arrival to the story, Clarity had acted in a cautious manner, obediently following her character setup in order to avoid an early death. As an university student, her experiences were a bit lacking (extremely lacking) to be able to guarantee her survival. However, having recently learned that she inherited the original Secretary's physical competency while retaining her own modern world consciousness, an audacious thought came across her mind.

What exactly was she afraid of?

She wasn't a character in the first place, and with one of her biggest worries resolved—why should she follow the Secretary's character design?

"Miss Secretary?" Seeing the girl deep in thought, Seokjin cocked his head to the side in perplexity.

"You think I'll be satisfied with clothes?" With a scoff, she smirked at him. Seokjin blinked twice, taken back by her abrupt change of attitude. Waving off the employees, Clarity grabbed hold of his sleeve, dragging him outside the store.

"Don't underestimate me."

* * *

  
Munching away gleefully at her family-size bag of barbecue chips, Clarity laid back, her back sinking into the cushioned seat in satisfaction. People outside the streets merged with the background like fleeting paint brush streaks, creating an ambiguous work of art outside of the car window.

Indeed, she had considered robbing Seokjin dry by buying everything in the store. And indeed, she had chickened out in the end.

The reason was simple. The moment she saw the guns tucked by the security guards’ belts, all thoughts of rebellion was out the window.

No matter how strong the Secretary was, she would be a goner with a single bullet.

Beside her, Seokjin sat silently with his gaze lingering on her bag of chips.

"You know, you're quite different from my original expectations," he said.

"So are you," she shrugged indifferently.

It was true. Although much of his personality was based upon his original character design—manipulating, assertive, and imperious—she could still see the shadows of BTS's eldest member behind his actions.

Not only Kim Seokjin, this was the case with the other members as well.

"This $3.99 bag of obesity has brought you an abnormal amount of joy," he remarked.

"Don't be rude to barbecue chips," Clarity hovered her hand over the bag protectively. "It's the source of humanity's happiness."

"The overdose of carbohydrates, processed chemicals, and saturated fat?"

"Please don't tell me you've never tried barbecue chips before."

At Seokjin's judging expression, she shook her dismissively. Shoving her hand into the bag, she pulled out a handful of barbecue chips and offered them on her palm. The man stared at her as if she had just introduced him to a grotesque piece of art. Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Seokjin hesitantly clipped on to a small piece of chip with a napkin. Clarity had an urge to roll her eyes as the man prudently scrutinized its features.

"You want me to get you a fork and knife as well?" She offered sarcastically.

At her comment, Seokjin's ears were coated with a shade of pink as the man let out a deliberate coughed. He lifted the chip, putting it into his mouth and closed his eyes, embracing for the worst.

Before Clarity could stop herself, a laugh escaped her mouth as she watched his eyes flutter open with a new wave of light.

"How is it?" She crossed her arms, a smug smile on her face.

"...It's tolerable," Seokjin said, adjusting his voice with a nonchalant tone.

The next day, Clarity woke up to a dozen food delivery trucks lined in front of the house—all filled with barbecue chips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you enjoying Clarity’s interactions with the different members?  
> Please leave your comments below and a kudos if you're liking the story so far!


	10. Realization and Goals

Clarity used to hate playing the piano.

When she was younger, her mom would always force her to practice on a daily basis. Scales, chords, arpeggios— she was required to play the same technical requirements over and over again. She wasn't a big fan of classical music, nor did she enjoy playing the Baroque period's polyphonic pieces. To her, piano was just another one of her daily missions that had to be completed.

Yet now, Clarity found herself being attracted to a certain piano tune as she followed after the source of melody. Eventually, she stood in front of a wooden door by the end of the hallway on the second floor.

Like bewitchment, she couldn't bring herself to interrupt and simply lingered by the entrance, deeply enchanted by the music. It was a melancholic yet soothing melody, pulling her into an alluring forest trail. Each note blended with another like the fog on a dewy morning, and each chord complemented the next harmoniously, like fairies waltzing amidst a lush forestland.

Starting off somber, the piece then moved on to its second phase. Fire spiralled upwards as the chords fell from major to minor, from consonant to dissonant; the forte octaves jumped from one side of the piano to another, smashing onto the surface in a frenzied momentum.

One section after another, one phrase leading to the next, the forces of nature clashed as the diminished seventh cords released a raging sentiment. The tempo was pressing, overwhelming the room atmosphere with an explosion of emotions.

Oxygen seemed to finally return to the room as the tempo reverted back to normal after a long ritenuto, bring its listeners back to reality. Finishing off the piece with a smooth series of arpeggios, the last key let out a gentle yet firm whisper, reverberating throughout the air.

Min Yoongi remained on the bench for a long time.

His weary gaze conveyed a thousand words as they locked onto the black and white keys that alternated before his eyes.

Suddenly, the creaking by the door shook him out of his trance.

Shifting his gaze to the direction of the noise, Yoongi's face was contorted to an obvious look of annoyance as he saw Clarity by the door with a sheepish smile.

" _You_ again."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you." She awkwardly stepped away from the room entrance. "But that was beautiful! I always knew you were good at piano, but this was another level."

At that, Yoongi lifted an eyebrow. "How did you know I played the piano?"

It wasn't him, but the Min Yoongi from BTS. However, he wouldn't understand even if she had explained.

"Seokjin told me," she lied, her brain whipping out a plausible excuse. "He said you often played the piano as a way to relieve stress."

"Speaking of Jin, you've got an awful lot of free time despite his secretary," he remarked with a scoff, trailing his fingers across the dusted space in between each key.

"He's leaving me to prepare for the Auction." Clarity subconsciously shuddered at the thought of the important event that was merely days away.

Ignoring his look of suspicion, she waddled over to the piano. Placing her fingers on the keys, she pressed each note one by one, until it formed a tune that's was the source of both her healing and her hope.

_"I need you girl,_

_wae honja saranghago_

_honjaseoman ibyeolhae_..."

Subconsciously singing out the lyrics, Clarity abruptly stopped playing and her face flushed with embarrassment. Beside her, Yoongi looked at the keys, then at her flustered face.

"What? The piano flirted with you or something?"

At that, she gave him a what-the-hell look, then slowly pulled the piano lid over the black and white keys. "It's not that. This isn't my song."

"I never expected it to be yours anyways." He shrugged. "What's wrong with singing someone else's song? Music is for everybody."

"This song belongs to someone very important to me. It holds a special place in my heart, so I don't want to butcher it."

"Who?"

Silence fell upon them.

 _You_.

That was what Clarity wanted to tell him, yet the words wouldn't come out as her mouth just opened and closed uselessly, struggling for an appropriate response.

She couldn't explain to him the song's therapeutic effect as she had listened to it on loop at four in the morning. She couldn't explain to him the irreversible impact BTS's songs had on her life, saving her from the demons that had once trapped her younger self.

Seeing her silence, Yoongi sighed as he reopened the cover. He sat in front of the piano and glanced up at her, ignoring her startled expression.

"You played D minor to begin with, correct?"

"H-huh?"

"If you don't want to "butcher" this pristine music—then I'll do it for you," he said, sarcastically stretching out the ends of 'pristine'. "Artists make music for it to be heard. Whoever the composer is, chances are they would be happier if you resonated with their song and shared it with others, instead of cradling it like a limited-edition Pandora box."

Clarity just stood there gaping, speechless at the life lesson she had just received from _the_ Min Yoongi.

The casual advice that he had gave to her out of annoyance had inadvertently altered her world view once again, reeling her back into reality.

Seeing him before the piano, inches away from herself, Clarity was suddenly reminded of his resemblance to his rapper counterpart. Of course, they were visually identical, but it was the traces of his speaking habits, the little movements he does with his eyes, and the very yoongi-like advices that struck her once more, allowing her to peer into the bits and pieces of similarities between his two worldly identities.

"You know—the artists that made this song, there's seven of them," Clarity said, a smile tugging by her lips. "And one of them, he's a rapper. In an interview, he said that the reason they make music is to bring positive energy to others. To console and give hope to people all around the world."

How fascinating it was, to speak about her person she admired in front of himself without him realizing. Listening to her marvelling confessions, Yoongi's eyes were calm with profundity. His bangs softly sweeping across his forehead, he tilted his head with a smile.

"I think that's quite an okay goal to pursue."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Hope your days are all going well
> 
> I didn't mean to make this so ot7-distributed as it is a tae-focused fanfiction LMAO but i hope you don't mind the showcase of different members! Truth be told despite the story being a romance i dont want the plot to center around only that but also a variety of other developments.
> 
> Look forward to the next update!


	11. Give Me a Break

"CEO Kim Seokjin, it's time to wake up," Clarity smiled politely.

No response.

She swept open the marron curtains with a swish and flipped on all the lights in his bedroom. The chandelier above them lit up, illuminating their space with a warm radiance of orange. Unfazed her actions, Seokjin pulled down his eye mask from the top of his head, turning to face the wall.

A vein popped as Clarity rubbed the side of her temples.

The round clock hung on the wall across from them, its unyielding transitions from one second to the next utterly ignored by the man as he buried himself under the blanket.

"It's only seven," he mumbled slowly under his breath, the raspiness of his voice still fresh from his slumber.

"Seven in the _evening_ ," Clarity said, tapping her foot impatiently. "You already postponed the shareholder conference this afternoon. You can't afford to also be absent for the business dinner tonight."

Seeing his unresponsive nature, Clarity had an urge to stomp the ground.

How could someone sleep for more than twelve hours without batting an eye?

A few weeks ago, she would have timidly accepted her destiny and hurried out. However, now was different. Getting to know the members for these past days, she had constantly tested their limits; in fact, she had long grown accustomed to Seokjin's wake-up tantrums. Like Jin in the real world, this Kim Seokjin too, held a facade of maturity that came from being the eldest. In reality, he was the most childish of all the characters.

Clarity wasn't about to allow herself to be controlled by some inaccurate character design.

"Yah, Kim Seokjin!" she screamed, her high-pitched voice yanking the man out of bed with a jolt. Dazed, he squinted at her through muddled eyes.

"Miss Secretary!" he yelled back with eyes that were still shut, like a child amidst a disadvantageous argument. "Is that any way to speak to your employer!"

"You're the one that told me to supervise you and make sure you don't slack off.” She sighed.

"Well I lied. Let me slack off.” Seokjin groaned, wrapping himself tightly with his blanket, his messy black haired sprawled comfortably over the pillow.

"You're really being like this? I could be reviewing the Auction day plans and profiles right now, but instead, I'm in a grown man's room, trying to get him out of bed at seven in the evening!"

"Then go review your notes! Stop bothering me."

Before she could give her rebuttals, the man had already held up a lazy wave, shooing her away. Eyes still closed, Seokjin messily rampaged through his bedside. It took him a few seconds to find his car keys, which he blindly tossed to Clarity.

"Also, Jimin texted _SOS_. Go pick him up. The location's already sent on your phone."

"What am I? Your secretary, housekeeper, and now your personal driver?" She rolled her eyes.

Seeing that he had no intention of responding, Clarity let out a long, resigned exhale as she turned around and headed toward the door. Sticking her tongue out at the slumbering Seokjin, she turned off the lights once more before exiting, leaving the room again in darkness.   
  


* * *

  
The moon was extra bright tonight as she stepped out of the car. Having reached the destination on her map, Clarity stared wide-eyed as she stood before the renown Ritz-Carlton hotel. Pulling out her phone, she did a double-take, reconfirming that this was the right address.

Eyeing the destination with uncertainty, Clarity shut the car door behind her as she observed her surroundings for signs of Jimin.

While she couldn't find any traces of the silver-haired man, she did come across a mob of people who gathered by the hotel entrance. Curious to know what they were looking at, she was about to approach the crowd when someone suddenly grabbed her by her collar, dragging her behind the car.

"Jimin?" She twirled around, surprised to see the man crouching down in complete disguise. His silver hair was covered fully by a black bucket hat, matching with the rest of his all-black outfit.

“A lovely fit you have today."

"Quit your remarks.” Jimin sighed, pulling off his hat in frustration as he habitually ran a hand through his hair. "Saesaengs somehow got their hands on my hotel address."

"Wait. So those people in the entrance are your fans?" Clarity blinked.

"Saesaengs aren't fans,” he responded.

"So you're hiding right now?"

"Does it look like I’m taking a stroll?"

"..."

"Anyways, I called Seokjin so he could get me out of here."

Patting the bucket hat back into place, Jimin discreetly stood behind the car as he attempted to soundlessly open the car door.

"Shit," he cursed—more loudly than he had intended—as the handle made a slight click.

Chills ran up Clarity's spine as dozens of heads jerked towards them simultaneously, their gazes shooting at them like lasers. It had occurred to her suddenly, that from the saesaengs' point of view, Jimin—the renowned celebrity—was alone with a girl (her) as they were in the middle of entering a car together.

Clarity saw her life flash before her eyes.

"Run!" Without hesitation, the man beside her grabbed hold of her collar once more and dashed to the hotel's side entrance.

The two of them sprinted through the lobby, barely outrunning Jimin’s hoard of pursuers that closely tailed after them. Ignoring the spectators that turned their heads in confusion, they headed towards the elevator.

As they were about to reach the door, Jimin abruptly took a sharp right turn instead, barely evading the rumbling footsteps that came their way as he pulled her into the emergency stairway.

"This is ridiculous.” Clarity bent over with her hands on her knees, completely out of breath. It was at times like this she was internally grateful for the Secretary's endurance, for if she had her previous body, she would have fainted right there.

"We're completely surrounded," Jimin said as he examined the situation through the small creak in the door. He turned towards her with a shake of his head. "It looks like we'll have to climb the stairs to get to my room. They don't know my room number, so we'll be safe there."

"Stairs? What floor is your room on?"

It took Jimin a few seconds as he pulled out his room card. "The thirty-third floor."

Silence filled the space between the two.

"What?"

"The thirty-third floor."

"You've got to be kidding."

* * *

They made it to Jimin's room a second before Clarity opened the gates to the afterlife.

Crawling to the handle, she barely managed to pushed open to enter his room, which was—expectedly—an extravagant suite. Without thinking, she collapsed on the king-size bed, allowing her body to sink into the mattress as she waited for her breath to return.

"Sorry to bring you into this.” Jimin rubbed the back of his neck apologetically. "It looks like we'll be stuck here for awhile."

"What did I do to deserve this?" Clarity pressed her palm against her head, listening to her rapid heartbeat that seemed to pound all the way to her brain. "At least this is a cool room."

"Too bad it's a single suite, so there's only one bed."

"Yeah—a shame."

Clarity agreed mindlessly, then reprocessed the conversation in her head. She shot up from the bed, wide-eyed at the information she was just given.

"There's only one bed?"

" _It's here-_ " she thought, "- _the iconic Wattpad scenario_!"

She knew something was missing in her life for these past few days. It was too normal. Too ressemblant of a real life, that she almost forgot that they were in a fanfiction.

A cliched fanfiction hopelessly filled with common tropes.

"It's alright, I'll be the gentleman and sleep on the couch.” Jimin strolled over to the counter to open himself a bottle of wine. He slid a glass to her direction. "Want some?"

"How are you so calm right now? You've literally been caught by your fans being alone with a woman, who you're now stuck in a room with," Clarity gaped incredulously as she threw her hands in the air with exasperation.

Blinking twice at her comment, Jimin leisurely swayed the wine glass in his hands, wafting the smell as he lightly fanned his hands. Finally, he glanced up at her with a proud smirk as he one-sidedly clinked his glass with hers.

"Miss Secretary. I'm _Park Jimin_. I can get away with anything. So if anyone should be nervous, it's going to be you."

At that, Clarity facepalmed.

She should have known that this Jimin, like the other members, also did not follow their original character designs. This Park Jimin’s personality was supposed to be "friendly, gentle, and good with people." After all, that was what allowed him to gain popularity and establish a large fan base at such a quick rate.

Staring at the mischievous man standing before her, Clarity shook her head.

Her experience here was only getting more unbelievable by each day.

"Anyway, since we're gonna spend the night here, might as well enjoy it, ri-" Jimin's sentence faded halfway through as his mouth parted slightly at the scene unravelling before him. "Miss Secretary— _what_ are you doing?"

With one leg hanging over the fence, Clarity was about to take a leap of faith as her arms pulled her over the edge of the fence from his balcony. She gave him a sheepish grin.

"Thanks for the offer, Mister Park, but I'm afraid I will have to take my leave. I wish you the best of luck!"

With a salut, she let go of the railing, falling out of Jimin's vision.

"Yah! This is the thirty-third floor!" He yelled as he ran up to the balcony and peered down in bafflement.

When he saw a glimpse of her shadow underneath the dimming moonlight, the silver-haired man let out a sigh of relief, almost laughing as he shook his head.

"She's something else, isn't she?"

* * *

Rolling smoothly from her back onto her feet, Clarity dusted off her jacket and felt thankful once again for the original Secretary's physical abilities. She grimaced at her clothe’s fabric that was torn by the fence.

"One after another, at this point I'll die of mental exhaustion before I could return to my old world," she grumbled to herself.

The moon shone eerily bright above her head as Clarity strolled down the empty streets. Crickets sang from within the sidewalk bushes, filling the empty silence.

At a leisure pace, it took a few minutes before she realized that from a few meters away, someone was following her. She discreetly snuck a glance over her shoulders to see a bulky shadow that was covered in black. Clarity tactfully sped her footsteps, only to feel the silhouette behind her to match her pace—no, it was getting closer by the seconds.

Just as she was about to make a run for it, the silhouette dashed past her, their large hands hooking on to her wrist in the process. Clarity bit her tongue in shock as she was dragged into an alleyway.

"Wh-" Before the words could escape her lips, they were shoved back down her throat as the person in black smacked his hand over her mouth.

"Shut up, we're being followed," he said harshly, his ocean-like voice rumbled by her ear. Recognizing this familiar voice immediately, Clarity stared wide-eyed at the man before her.

Under lamplights in the narrow alleyway, the majority of Taehyung's face was covered by his mask, only revealing strands of his jet-black hair and the deep, brown pupils that peered into hers.

With their body pressed against each other, neither of them spoke a word. Hyper-focused, all of Taehyung's attention was fixed on the main street as he seemed to wait for something, or someone to pass. To get a better look of the situation, he unintentionally leaned forward, pressing against her arms even more.

Her head spinning, Clarity's heart was performing all kinds of acrobatic activities.

Another minute passed in silence.

Footsteps were heard as a few shadows passed by their alleyway. Finally declaring the situation as clear, Taehyung stepped back. The sudden release in tension caused Clarity's knees to buckle, pushing her forward. With one hand, he caught her by the waist as she lost her balance.

"Sorry about that. I was being pursed by people, and they somehow laid their eyes on you as well," the black-haired man explained, pulling off his mask with a sigh. "Our encounters seem to always occur during night time, doesn't it? Are you okay?"

Seeing her dazed state, he was about to ask another question when she lifted a hand to his face.

"Don't talk to me right now, I need a moment."

"Why?" Tilting his head to the side like a puppy, staring at her in perplexity.

Clarity shivered as she recalled the proximity between them just a moment ago. As the Variable, Kim Taehyung hated physical contact with others. She was praying with all her mind that this incident did not put her in a bad light. The black-haired man listened as the girl muttered something under her breath in an attempt to calm down.

"My hearts beating like crazy."

"His eyes widened. “...Oh.”

Clarity would only find out later about that night, about how Taehyung's heart skipped a beat at her comment, and about how his face saturated with colour so bright it was visible even under the dimmed lamp lights.


	12. Along with the Plot

Jungkook lazily postured himself on the wooden chair, resting his chin on the backrest as he munched on his churros. He glanced up as the entrance door to the mansion flung open, revealing a red-faced Taehyung.

"Why took you so lon-" the youngest complained, stopping amidst his sentence as he noticed another body in the room. Behind him, Clarity popped her head out, giving him a small wave.

"Oh, you're back!" Hoseok called out as he bounced from the living room, a plate full of hamburgers stacked on his palm. "Why do you both look like you just ran a marathon?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Taehyung monotonously deadpanned as he strode towards the table, snatching the churro from Jungkook's hand and devouring it in one gulp. The latter’s brows furrowed together as he gave him a look of confusion.

"I was being pursued, then I bumped into her," the black-haired man said, ignoring the younger one's intense stare. Clarity nodded quickly in agreement.

"Senyu?" Hoseok asked.

"No. Just a small fry."

As the two exchanged information, Jungkook's gaze were glued on to the girl from across the room, his doe-like eyes scrutinizing her like she was a foreign object.

Finally unable to handle the intensity of his gaze, she marched up and held out her hand for a friendly handshake.

"You must be Jungkook, right? I've heard a lot about you from Seokjin.” She smiled warmly. "My name is Clarity, and I'm his personal secretary. Hope we get along."

In response to her greeting, however, the youngest slowly scooted back in his chair, enlarging the distance between them. His eyes, wary like a deer in the headlights, never left her as he scooped up his churros cautiously. Dumbfounded, Clarity stared as the man hastened his steps up the stairs, not forgetting to shoot her a warning glare before slamming the door to his room.

She eyed Taehyung for an explanation, but the latter only shrugged as he also headed upstairs, leaving her alone in utter conclusion.

"Please don't mind Taehyung, it's past his bedtime so he's grumpy.” Hoseok winked jokingly from behind. Then in a not-so-jokingly way, he shrugged a smile. "Also, please don't mind Jungkook, he's gynophobic."

Clarity blinked twice, unable to believe her ears.

He’s _what_?

Jungkook—the story’s playboy, the seductive man who sealed countless deals for Bangtan through his social butterfly personality, the man that supposedly flirted to everyone just to mess around—was scared of women?

Perhaps the fanfiction was a scam all along.

"Anyway, are you ready for tomorrow?" He asked as he grinned with an air of nonchalance, and she found herself returning the expression.

"What about tomorrow?"

"Your mock mission! The Auction is less than a week away, so you have to at least have a trial run at it, right?" He exclaimed, still beaming brightly as he watched the matching smile fade from Clarity's face.

"...”

"What? Did Jin not tell you?"

* * *

Like J-Hope from BTS, Jung Hoseok from Bangtan Co. also had a magnet-like existence, attracting attention wherever he went. And if Hoseok's presence was like the sun, Taehyung's was a rare meteor shower. Once you set your eyes on them, it was impossible to peel them away.

"Two million—we have two million! Is there a higher bid than two million?"

The auctioneer's enthusiastic voice boom through the microphone, filling the prestigious space that reeked of riches. 

Dressed in a sparkling black suit, Hoseok wore orange gradient sunglasses that concealed the joyful gaze behind its lens. Taehyung, with hands slipped inside his pockets, was spacing out beside him in a patterned dark grey suit. His smooth, dark hair was parted to the side, revealing his forehead along with the rest of his sharp features.Adding onto their attractive presence, there was special treatment. Five bodyguards stood behind them, and unlike the other guests, they sat in a balcony room above the auction space. While that gave them a wide field of view of the entire process, it also meant they were completely exposed to the eyes of the general crowd.

In other words, they stuck out like sore thumbs.

Sitting between the two of them was Clarity, who kept her head down to avoid second hand embarrassment. Taking strides of confidence, Hoseok wore a mask of arrogance as he laid back by the armchair, one leg crossed over another. With a black card twirling between his fingers, he made a gesture to the staff beside him, who quickly nodded and spoke into the mic.

"Five million!" The person’s voice boomed throughout the room, and Clarity wanted to go home.

"Psst..." With a light pull, she tugged on the corner of Taehyung's blazer to get his attention. "I know that the whole plan was centered around Senyu, but what exactly are we trying to do here?"

Seeing her look of pure confusion, the black-haired man lifted an eyebrow in amusement. He leaned forward, brushing past her face as he whispered by her ears.

"What else can we doing at an auction hall?" His raspy voice sent shivers down her spine. "Of course we going to blow some money."

What was with Bangtan members and money blowing? Clarity couldn't help but frown.

"Seven million!" a voice said, and she peered down to see a middle-age man seated by the back row.

"Ten million," Hoseok spoke into the mic, his voice firm with poise.

"Ten million going once... Going twice... And congratulations to Mister Jung Hoseok for your ten million purchase!"

At the announcement of the results, the middle-aged man from earlier rose from his seat, disappearing from the picture.

Discreet conversations started amongst the crowd as the auction fell into intermission, and Clarity didn't have to be told to know that they were their topic of discussion. Looks of envy, judgment, and lust—she could see it all in their eyes as the audience below took turns sneaking glances at the two men on the upper balcony.

Unaffected by their gazes, Hoseok stood up and stretched, giving the people below a casual glance before closing the curtain between them. After enclosing the room, he turned towards Clarity.

"So? What did you learn from this auction?"

His unexpected quiz put her at a loss of words, and Taehyung couldn't help but let out a soft snicker.

"Did you really think we came here just to flaunt money?" His shoulders shook silently from chuckling, and Clarity had the urge to kick him in the shins.

In fact, she did have a feeling there was a purpose behind this trip, so she had been silently observing the surroundings as the auction proceeded.

"Are one of the attendees involved with the Auction happening after tomorrow?" she asked.

With a curt nod, Hoseok flipped open a can of Sprite. He tossed another to Taehyung, who caught it with one hand.

"Want one?" He offered, and when Clarity shook her head, he continued. "The man who offered 7 million—he's the Senyu CEO's underdog, Kang Kevin. If the informant's observations were correct, he would be the main partaker in the Underground Auction, whose process is no different—except this one's legal and the other not."

"We're here to divert his attention," Taehyung said, gesturing his hands to his outfit. "Otherwise, why would we dress to get robbed at an auction?"

It was true. Hoseok, being the hier of Senyu, was supposed to be on the side of his adoptive father. Yet his appearance at today's auction, not to mention, to work against his father's men, was surely of sufficient importance for Kevin to bring forth during Senyu Corporation conferences.

It was an unspoken defiance.

"Now that we drawn enough attention to ourselves, our mission is complete. I can already imagine him wasting time ordering around his employees to dig out information about Taehyung and I, when we won't even be attending the Underground Auction!" Hoseok laughed as he took of his sunglasses, playfully toppling it onto Clarity's head. "Miss Secretary, do you know what's the most important thing about going undercover?"

Clarity, with the sunglasses still resting on her head, watched in amazement as the man's cheery smile dropped in a blink of an eye, immediately densifying the tension in the room. He lifted an eyebrow smugly, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. Upon seeing her bewilderment, Taehyung stood beside Hoseok, smirking as he framing the latter’s face with his hands like introducing a painting.

"It's confidence," Taehyung answered.

At that moment, the two man in front of her felt like unreachable beings, and for the first time, Clarity caught a glimpse of the true world that they lived in. It was filled with cruelty, yet at the same time it was the embodiment of an undeniable thrill.

"Once you're undercover, you're no longer you."

* * *

Before she knew it, the day of the Auction had arrived.

Sitting in the backseat of the car, Clarity crossed her hands nervously as she exhaled to calm her booming heart. As expected, Hacker Yoongi had found a way to insert her name in replacement of one of Senyu's previous bodyguards, successfully sneaking her into the system. Currently in a car with three other Senyu bodyguards, they were on the way to pick up the individuals to be auctioned from the portfolio.

Casting her gaze onto the ground, she mentally went over the entire plan in her head.

Many prominent mafia organizations were going to be present at the Underground Auction, which meant to make a blunder could be deadly for Senyu's reputation—this was exactly what Seokjin was aiming for. By attending the Auction, there would surely be discussion about the two companies. After all, Bangtan and Senyu were known to have some unfriendly rivalries.

In modern day, auctions that involve living organisms were long considered immoral, with almost no occurrences—except for the ones hosted by Senyu Corporation. Although Bangtan Co. had a underground counterpart, they were opposed to the idea of auctioning the living. Clarity was told that of all the profiles, one was going to be chosen for as the highlighted prize.

Instinctively, she knew for a fact it would be the female protagonist.

However, there would be an ambush at the Auction. One planned by no other than the Bangtan members.

And when that happens, Clarity's job would be to secure her amongst the chaos. This was why she was disguised upon the transporting bodyguards, so she could discreetly put the tracking identification on her beforehand. 

Beside her, a bodyguard impatiently sifted through the different profiles. Despite having black shades over his eyes, it was still insufficient to cover his overwhelming presence.

"Who's the target?" His gruff voice sent Clarity to the edge of her seat.

"Yinn Noran," she said, feigning brashness in her voice to match his intimidating aura. "It says here her mother signed the transaction contract to exchange her for money."

As the car neared the neighborhood, the female protagonist's house came into view, and Clarity's heart accelerated in her chest.

This was it—their first encounter that instigated the original plot.

Opening the car door, she stepped out along with the other bodyguards. One of them knocked on the door harshly, and after a few seconds, a woman in her late forties opened the door. Eagerly welcoming them in, she quickly moved to the side to present her daughter.

The protagonist of the story had a clear contrast to Clarity's original imaginations.

Rather than innocent and naive, it was more fitting to describe her presence as fragile. Like piece of blank paper, but creased beyond repair to the point where it no longer even looked like paper, let alone white.

With unkempt hair and weary eyes, Yinn Noran glimpsed at them with fear. 

Clarity felt a pang in her chest as she became aware of the immoral nature of her actions.

" _It's_ _okay_ ," she reassured herself, " _this is only a part of the plan, and we’re talking about the main character here. Jin will find interest in her, and she will be rescued_."

There was no alternative pathway—she had to go along with the plot.

_Have confidence._

Taehyung's voice echoed in her head, and Clarity took a deep breath to gather herself.

Elegantly, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with one hand, tipping down the rims of her sunglasses with the other. Standing before the main character of the story, the short-haired girl recited the familiar lines that had appeared on her screen merely a month ago.

"Your mother signed a contract with us for a sum of money," Clarity said. Despite her chest tightening with guilt as she glanced at the tearful mess standing before her, she finished her sentence with a detached tone of formality.

"You are now the property of Senyu Corporation."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow eleven chapters in and we're finally at the first episode of the fanfiction LOL
> 
> But of course the fanfiction plot so not what it seems, so stay tuned for the next chapter! If you enjoy what you’re reading, please leave a kudos and comments on your thoughts/feedbacks for this chapter :)


	13. Have Confidence

The car ride was solemnly quiet. Sitting in the backseat was Clarity and Yinn, with the latter having a cuff that restricted her movement in case she tried to run. Smoke filled the air as the bodyguards in the passenger seat lit a cigarette, and Clarity had to hold her breath so she didn’t end up coughing.

She looked over to the brown-haired girl sniffling beside her. A dull expression hanging across her face, Yinn sat with hands in her lap, gazing down at her feet. The air around them were sullen, and Clarity found it hard to believe that this girl was the main character of the story.

There was something about her, something so ordinarily mundane that ripped away her presence, stripping her of nothing more than an existing body. It was then Clarity realized that before Yinn's encounter with Jin, she was just another girl unfortunate enough to have a tragedy befallen upon.

The car came to a stop, and the bodyguard pulled opened the door rashly, pulling the brunette out of her seat. Tumbling out the car, Yinn was about to fall when Clarity had steadied her with her arms. The former didn’t have time to reaction, however, as she was immediately yanked on her feet by the buff-looking bodyguard.

Seeing his harsh actions, Clarity almost pushed him aside, telling tell him to back off.

But she stopped herself, watching as the girl was shoved into the waiting room of the Auction hall.

" _It's_ _fine_ ," she told herself, suppressing her impulsiveness. " _Seokjin will save her. The best thing to do right now was to carry through the mission_."

And to wait.

Stepping foot into the auction hall, Clarity was confronted with an entirely contrasting atmosphere from yesterday. The tension was palpable. The social space which was bustling with conversations yesterday were now dead silent as the attendees remained solemnly in the lined seats, like prisoners awaiting their trial results.

Aside from the auction products, the audience was interested in witnessing the showdown between the CEOs of Bangtan and Senyu.

Shaped as a spherical auditorium, the majority of the seats were placed in the middle of the space that directly faced the auction stage. Two balcony room were built on the second floor, directed towards both the left and right side of the stage, which were rooms occupied by Bangtan and Senyu, respectively.

Peering towards her right, she caught a glimpse of Senyu's CEO. Although his face was entirely concealed by rows of bodyguards, he appeared to have the presence of a man in his late 50s. Beside him stood, his right hand man, Kang Kevin, she recalled was also present at the last auction.

Preoccupied, their gazes never left the room across from them, which—despite the approaching auction time—remained unoccupied.

Suddenly, Clarity's phone buzzed from her chest pocket, ending her trail of thoughts. She swiped right on the screen and held the device to her ear.

"Hello?"

"There's a problem." The graveness of Yoongi's voice delivered itself through the line. "We were ambushed on our way to the Auction by Senyu's men, and Seokjin's injured. We're not going to make it in time."

At his news, Clarity's heart dropped to her stomach as a wave of panic stirred up within her.

In the original story, Seokjin was the spotlight of the Auction; having remained an audience for the majority of the event, it wasn't until the highlight display of the first human product—Y/N—that he stole the show tenaciously, buying her freedom without hesitation at an incredibly high price. Clarity grimaced in regret as Yinn's despairing eyes flashed back into her mind.

She was depending on Jin to save the day, but with the unwritten ambush, the plot had gone haywire before it even started.

After taking swift glimpses around her to ensure no one was listening in, she leaned closer into the speaker. "Jin's hurt? Is he okay? So what's going to happen now, do we retreat?"

Despite her bombardment of questions, there was a few seconds of silence on the line, and her restlessness intensified.

"Jin's fine, and the plan goes on," Yoongi spoke again, this time with a firm determination. "We're going to try to get there as soon as possible, but meanwhile, you have to try to get us as much time as possible."

"Wait...Me?"

"Yes, Miss Secretary."

Before she could make up an excuse, Jimin interrupted from across the phone. "Miss Secretary! I deposited a couple hundred million into your company-issued credit card, so use it to your liking to buy us time until we get here. We're counting on you!"

"Hundred million?!" Clarity choked on air as she tried to form a mental image of that unrealistic number.

How many zeros did it have again?

As she was about to hurriedly deny their request instinctively, the words faded as she came to a sudden realization:

This was her first red flag.

It all made sense now. In the book, the initial blunder that caused everything to go wrong was her choice to kill Y/N instead of bringing her to Seokjin. That being said, if she decided to protest against their request, it'll only put her at a hostile position—which was everything that she didn't want to do.

On the other hand, with this “few” hundred millions in her hand, she could be the one saving the female protagonist from the hands of evil, uniting the couple of the story, Seokjin and Yinn. This was like a game mission; as she conducted a good deed to push forward the plot, she would be rewarded with a higher amity level while also surmounting her first death flag. Not to mention, she would also get the chance to experience being the holder of absolute monetary power.

Now that she thought of it, wasn't this was actually a surprisingly good trade off?

"Miss Secretary? Are you listening?" Hoseok's worried voice echoed through the phone.

"Some hundred millions, right?" Despite the nervous drop of sweat trailing down her temple, she mustered a crooked grin. "Mission received."

Fixing her tie, Clarity took a deep breath as she dropped the phone by her side. She took a step towards the left balcony.

Then another.

And another.

The spectators from the bottom watched as she made her up to the balcony room. When she reached the entrance, she was stopped by two security guards, who asked her to identify herself.

"Clarity Moon," she announced, voice unwavering as she showed them her Bangtan Co. identification. "CEO Kim Seokjin will be late due to unforeseen circumstances. In the meanwhile, I will be attending the auction on his behalf."

At her statement, the two men stepped back, and Clarity stepped onto the thick, luxurious carpet that sunk beneath her feet. Glancing at the hundreds of people below her, Clarity gulped as she reminded herself of Taehyung's words.

_Have confidence._

He was right.

"You want me to fall for my death flag?" She scoffed, as if speaking to the unknown system that governed the fanfiction. "Try me."

As of now, she stood there not as the Secretary, nor as a character designed by the story.

She stood as Clarity Moon, the one who was going survive, and get this hell-of-a-plot-line back on its track.


	14. A Big Boom

Having been an enthusiastic player of High Society, Clarity considered herself more or less knowledgeable in the workings of an auction.

There were a few psychological vulnerabilities when it came to these events:

First, rationality was often overshadowed by impulsive decisions. In auctions, the emotional experience of bidders were the biggest factors that caused them to deviate from their original bidding strategy.

Let your emotions take over, and boom—you lose the bidding _and_ you're broke.

Next was the prevalence of the endowment effect, where common assets already possessed by bidders are overvalued despite their potential disadvantage in making profit. To overcome this effect was to demonstrate the willingness to take risks through evaluations of contextual situations.

For example, if you already possessed three BTS WINGS album and you want another one, would you choose another WINGS album or the more expensive BE album?

Although the WINGS album may be appealing as the buyer was already aware of its contents, it may not necessarily be the best choice, since chances are that they would gain more out of a new release even if it's more expensive.

Last but not least, the urge to compete would be a bidder's greatest source of downfall. In auctions, people tend to have an insatiable need to beat their competitors, which lead to many overestimating their assets, spending past their limits only for a temporary satisfaction of their pride.

In other words, auctions were where one can witness the most frequent downfalls of human nature.

However, none of these worries were of concern to Clarity.

First, her objective was to buy time, not products, so there was no emotional appeal, as she had nothing to gain.

Second, as a university student, she had no "common assets" of any of the products in the auction in the first place.

Lastly, with a couple hundred million on her hands, did they really think overbidding was going to be a problem?

The lights dimmed, and Clarity scanned the area below her one last time before turning her attention towards the bidding screen.

"Welcome to our annual Senyu Auction.” The auctioneer stepped forth to the stage as the spotlight shon above his head. "As always, we have ten anticipatory items up for bids tonight, so please look forward to your favourite items' appearances!"

A round of applauses rumbled throughout the room, marking the beginning of the auction.

"First—the Leica 35mm film model camera, one of only 25 produced in 1923. It has been said that less than ten are in the world today," the auctioneer exclaimed, pausing for effect. "Starting at one million!"

Clarity narrowed her eyes to get a better look at the camera.

Taehyung in the old world would love this camera.

"1.1 million!" A woman announced.

"1.3 million!" Another voice soon followed.

"1.5 million!"

"Two million," Kevin rose his padding number.

"Five million!" Clarity quickly followed, holding up her paddle number 7 with a big grin on her face.

The room immediately broke into a wave of murmurs as all eyes turned to her direction. Even the auctioneer seemed to be taken back by her call, his eye darting to one of the staff mediators, not knowing what to do.

"F-five million! Is there a higher bid than five million?" His announcement was met with silence.

"Five million going once...Twice... And Sold!" The gavel struck against the wooden block with a solid bong. "Congratulations to Mister Kim Seokjin on your Leica camera!"

Nodding to herself in satisfaction, she glanced over at the balcony across from hers, giving the man a smug grin. It wasn't her original intention to blatantly go against Senyu, but they couldn't possibly expect her to be smiling at them with respect when they were the ones behind the ambush on Seokjin and the others.

"Our next item—the Rabbit, an enigmatic yet elegant piece of sculpture surely embodying the presence of modern art," the auctioneer continued, "starting at ten million!"

"11 million!"

"12 million!"

"15 million!"

Clarity watched as Senyu's CEO whispered something into the other man's ears.

"20 million," Kevin said, raising his padding number.

"50 million!" She immediately called out, throwing her own padding number into the air.

This time, she could visibly see Kevin's face fuel with a shade of red as he shot her a glare from across the auction hall, to which she returned with an innocuous smile.

It was then when Senyu’s CEO stood up. Clarity watched as he whisperer something to Kevin before heading out the door. It looked like he did not plan to stay the whole time in the first place.

With a shrug, Clarity refocused her attention to the auction.

The pattern continued for the next items, where Clarity would drag on the bidding until Kevin made a move, then obliterate him with a chandelier offer. Although Clarity felt like a rotten human being for flaunting money, she couldn't deny the enjoyment she felt as observing the changes of expression in Senyu men's faces as it went through a rollercoaster of emotions—from flustered, to enraged, to utter confusion.

The girl rolled back on the armchair, laughing with satisfaction.

"You seem to be having fun."

"Oh, fun is an understatement-" Clarity's voice dissipated midway as she jolted up from the armchair, startled by other presence in the room.

With a bandage covering over part of his porcelain skin, Seokjin tiled his head with an amused smirk. Behind him was Taehyung, dressed in his usual black fit, forehead covered by his black curls.

"You guys made it! Wait, but your face..." She said, unconsciously moving her hand up to his bandages in concern, only halting midway as she realized the danger of her action.

Clarity quickly tucked her hand away with an awkward cough. "Are your injuries okay?"

"Oh, these?" Seokjin replied, pointing towards the side of his face. "I only got a few scratches, but the bandages looked stylish, so I kept it."

At the man's usual prideful comment, Clarity couldn't help but sigh in relief. Her attention then turned towards the other black-haired man.

"I didn't expect you to be here as well! Since you and Hoseok already went through all that exposure yesterday and all."

"You see, Taehyung was worried about my safety, so he insisted on coming with me no matter what," Seokjin gasped dramatically, "because he loves me so so much-"

The eldest shut his mouth immediately as Taehyung pressed on the back of his collar with one hand, his fingers lingering by his pressure points.

Their quarrel was interrupted by the auctioneer's booming voice throughout the microphone.

"To announce our highlight prize of tonight—!" He said with excitement as the floor started to turned on itself.

All eyes were glued on the stage, landing on the girl that emerged from the center of the auction ground. At the sight of the female protagonist, Clarity immediately sat up straight.

Elegantly decorated like a product, Yinn was adorned from head to toe in a lavender shade of satin, revealing her bare arms and back. Her messy brown hair was forcible braided into a french braid, letting two strands of hair fall free in the front of her face. She sat vulnerably amidst the stage, chained to the metal handles, with tears pouring out from her eyes nonstop.

The smile from Clarity disappeared as all traces of previous satisfactions were gone in an instant.

"It's her," she mumbled under her breath. Seokjin turned to her with a tilt of the head. "We have to save her."

"Do you know her?" Taehyung asked, his eyes landing on the girl by the stage,

At his question, Clarity instinctively turned to Seokjin, who looked at her in confusion.

"I have never seen her in my life before," the latter held his arms up in defence.

"I mean, yeah, but don't you feel something when you look at her?" She blinked twice. "Like a _spark_?"

He drew his head back with furrowed eyebrows.

Seokjin's unexpected reaction threw her mind for a spin. Clarity stared at him, dumbfounded. This wasn't how the story was supposed to progress.

Where was the " _he felt an unexplainable attraction to the vulnerable girl at first sight_ "?

Where was the " _at that moment, he knew that he had to save her no matter what"_?

Clarity bit her lips as she realized the predicament they were in. If Seokjin didn't give a shit about the girl, not only was she done for—fanfiction was screwed.

This was bad. Very bad.

"We got to save her."

Her voice quivering on the brink of desperation, Clarity suddenly felt a firm, reassuring hand on her shoulder. Its warmth sent dazzling vibrations through the rest of her body, and Clarity felt her heart do a flip. Beside them, Seokjin shook his head with a resigned smile.

"We'll save her," Taehyung said, intentionally backing her away from the window view. "Just not through bidding."

"...Huh?"

Suddenly, a rush of gust poured into the auction space, followed immediately by a deafening explosion of cinderblocks and flames. One of the shards harshly clashed with their balcony window, creating a web of outstretched cracks that bursted as the glass shattered into pieces.

Clarity instinctively recoiled, crashing into Taehyung who had silently stood behind her as a pillar of support. She managed to mumble a small "thanks" as she watched through the now-open-balcony the empty hole that was now at the top of the ceiling, pieces of glass dangerously dangling from the shattered roof.

Everyone watched in a daze as the a piece of marbled glass tumbled down the roof through sparkling flames and—as if in slow motion—contacted the floor with an ear-piercing screech.

As if it was a bell to reality, the room immediately broke into chaos.

The majority of the crowd was thrown into a state of panic as they scrambled out the Auction House, like miserable rats at the sight of a feline predator. Chairs tumbling on to the ground, fire alarms wailing in the distance, people tramping over each other—it was truly a scene to witness from above.

Amidst the chaos, Clarity's eyes fell on a certain brunette, who was still trapped helplessly on the center of the stage. A gasp escaped from her mouth as a piece of the rooftop detached itself from the rest of the ceiling, aiming straight for the direction of the girl.

"Yinn!" She yelled, instinctively reaching her hand out.

Immediately, a certain silver-haired man descended from above, flinging his arms around her waist as he hurled her aside just in time to successfully evade the brick rock. Smoke dispersed into a thick fog, and it took a few seconds for the obscuring view to clear up as two silhouettes emerged from among the debris.

Pushing his hair back with one hand, Jimin gave the brunnette a wink, then shifted his gaze to the direction of the balcony with a thumbs-up. At his triumphing gesture, Clarity collapsed on the couch with a sigh of relief. From above, Yoongi quickly poked his head from the rooftop as a gesture of confirmation. She watched as they quickly exited the building, disappearing from the scene.

The ambush was a success.

With the auction hall now empty with a gaping hole on the ceiling, it was only a matter of time before the police came. As a private, illegal event, there would be no CCTV nor witnesses as evidence for this incident. All the attendees who were present tonight would be, for a fact, too scared to approach the police.

From a distance, Kevin and a couple of Senyu’s man also remained sitting by the balcony room, seemingly unfazed by the ambush. Through the blurry air, Clarity made eye contact with the man, and through his shades, his eyes delivered an unsettling sense of malice. She averted his gaze.

Seokjin seemed to also notice his rival's company’s presence, as he held up a glorious middle finger with the smuggest grin on his face before spinning around towards the exit door. Clarity gaped at his bluntness while Taehyung merely shook his head.

Her heart still pounding ferociously in her chest, Clarity huffed out a breath of bewilderment and turned her back on the chaotic scrambling behind her.

Though different than expected, this truly marked the beginning of her journey as the Secretary in To Be His Possession.

Pushing herself to stand properly, she tried to wrap her head around what had just happened. Facing her was a certain black-haired man, who stood by her silently, waiting for her to catch up.

At Taehyung outstretched hand, Clarity couldn't help but smile as she took up his offer.

She had just taken her first step towards the plot, and managed to change it from its original course. Her heart inflated with anticipation as the reality seemed to finally settle down from within.

"C'mon," Taehyung said, his eyes embodied the galaxy as it sparkled wildly from the rush of adrenaline. "Let's get out of here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was so fun to write i loved researching about auctions lmao
> 
> ps all the products were real auction items if u were curious hehe (not including yinn LOL)
> 
> anyway, please leave comments and a kudos if you enjoyed this chapter!


	15. This Damn Flag

By the time they got out of the Auction House, the outside had already became a complete mess. The wail of sirens spread itself throughout the entire area, receiving apprehensive glances from passing citizens.

With everything in a state of discombobulation, it wasn't surprising that the group was able to sneak behind the building, where their two black Hyundai were parked, without bringing much attention upon themselves.

As the car door flung open, Clarity was met with the presence of the brightest sunshine as Hoseok gave her a grin, pulling her up to the backseat in one go. In the driver's seat sat none other than Jungkook, timidly peering through the rear-view mirror as he clenched onto the steering wheel. The door beside him opened, and Seokjin slid into the passenger seat, a smug grin still plastered upon his face. Visibly relieved at the eldest's presence, the maknae smiled as they greeted each other with a fist pump.

After Clarity had settled down in the middle seat, Taehyung slipped into the seat to the right. As his shoulder pressed against hers, Clarity's breath hitched in her throat as she was reminded of the night in the alleyway.

Quickly fumbling to secure her seatbelt, she intentionally averted her eyes from his, keeping it down so he wouldn't have a chance to catch her flustered face.

"If everyone's ready, we'll start to get going," Seokjin called from the front.

At his announcement, Taehyung's head swayed from side to side as he searched for his silver-haired friend.

"Where's Jimin?"

"He's in the car in front of us, along with Yoongi and the girl," Seokjin replied, “they’re going ahead to settled down back home, so we'll meet them there."

Starting the engine with a turn of his keys, Jungkook smoothly swerved the car past the parked police cars. Clarity leaned towards her right, watching as the Auction House faded further and further into the distance.

"Congratulations, Miss Secretary!" Hoseok nudged her shoulder with a wink. "You've survived your first mission—now isn't that exciting?"

She, Clarity Moon, at the age of nineteen, had survived her first death flag.

At his words, Clarity pressed her lips into a thin line as she tried to conceal her smile. She unintentionally glanced at Taehyung, only to find the black-haired man staring back at her, his all-consuming eyes fixed with a soft glimmer.

" _This was only the beginning,_ " she told herself. " _It'll only get better from here_."

* * *

Unlike the car behind them, which was filled laughter and conversation, Yoongi's car was absolutely silent. Jimin and Yinn sat on opposite ends of the back row, while the older was in the driver's seat.

Ahead of their other members by a few kilometres, Yoongi drove in silence, steering the wheel with one hand as he uncomfortably glimpsed behind at the awkward tension at the backseats.

"Why did we bring her along again?" Jimin asked from behind, precariously eyeing the brunette beside him.

"We weren't going to." He rolled his eyes. "It was you that saved her on impulse from that falling brick, and now we're here."

"I sure hope Seokjin doesn't get mad. He hates it when strangers come home."

As the two conversed, the girl only listened quietly with her watery eyes fixed onto her lap. Panic arose from Jimin as he realized he had just made a woman cry. Yoongi sniggered as he felt the silver-haired man's sense of dismay all the way from the front.

"H-hey, we weren't annoyed by you or anything," Jimin explained, suddenly flustered. "We were just... Discussing our next steps."

As he was about to pass her a box of tissues, a deafening explosion sent their car swerving through the road. With the gust almost blowing them over, Yoongi stomped on the breaks, barely evading the railings on the sides of the road.

The momentum threw them forward, allowing no time for reactions as the air bag expanded to counter the collision impact.

His heart pounding in his chest, he glanced at the rear-front mirror to ensure that the two behind were safe. A sigh of relieve escaped his lips as Jimin, though startled, gave him a thumbs up with one hand while the other held the girl in an embrace, saving her from flying headfirst into the front.

After clearing his head, Yoongi parked the car by the side of the road and stepped out.

"Stay here," Jimin commanded to the girl, his eyes widely alert as he did the same.

Trails of ominous smoke oozed from a distance, polluting the starry sky. A dark tint of red blended with the night as it created a violent gradient of navy and red, ambiguously blended by the smoke and fire. Seeing no sight of the other members' car, Jimin and Yoongi exchanged glances as they recognized simultaneously the reason behind the incident.

"Shit," the two said in unison as they dashed back to their car, speeding towards the direction of the smoke.

* * *

It was instant regret for Clarity as she recalled her optimistic claim from earlier.

Her knees barely holding the weight of her body, it took everything she had to merely maintain balanced as Jungkook spun the steering wheel in another sharp turn to the left.

The sound of wheezing bullets merged with her pounding heart as the momentum threw Clarity to the side, her face pressing into Taehyung's body in the process. A sore sensation ripped through her nose as it stung from the hard abs prominent even under his clothes.

She didn't have time to apologize, as another gunshot was heard behind them. The highway was conveniently deprived of all other cars as they were pursued by a black truck. Standing on its trunk were two Senyu bodyguards in black, unaffected by the speed nor the wind as they targeted their car with handguns.

Countless questions swarmed her mind.

Why was it that she had to wake up in a mafia-themed alternate universe out of all possible options?

Why could she not have waken up in a fluff fanfiction where she live through a love story with her favourite idol?

_How_ was she going to survive this?

"Hold on tight," Seokjin yelled from behind as Jungkook pressed deep into the pedal.

Taking his advice, that was exactly what Clarity did as she immediately clung on to the black-haired man beside her for dear life.

"I am so sick of this fanfiction." She shut her eyes, gritting her teeth as a flash of bullet narrowly missed their window. "Please let me go home."

"How did they manage to track us?" Hoseok's voice was unusually annoyed as he eyed the truck tailing them relentlessly from behind.

Suddenly, something seemed to click as he anchored his attention onto the girl screaming beside him. Bluntly, he shoved his hand into Clarity chest pocket, and she yelped in surprise. Ignoring her reaction, he took out a black card, which was glimmering in red.

Clarity's jaws dropped, staring dumbfounded at the tracking device in his hand.

"I _swear_ I didn't know that was there.” Her voice was up an octave as she shook her head in exasperation.

When her explanation was met with Hoseok's penetrating look of suspicion, Clarity's heart dropped to her stomach. Her blood ran cold as she realized that she was now a suspect.

Of course, taking in consideration of the current situation, the pieces of evidence were working against her. As the new Secretary, not only did she not contribute much to the plan, but she also unintentionally lured the enemy to the team?

She should have known that the death flag couldn't be surmounted so easily.

"This won't do.” Taehyung's voice pierced through the tension as the man pushed open the car's sunroof.

A rush of wind swept through the interior as his curls flew all around in a frenzy. Clarity watched through squinted eyes as the black-haired man pulled out a gun from his belt. He loaded the weapon, and without hesitation, lifted half of his body out the roof to blast a shot at the opponent.

Clarity gaped as the bullet pierced through one of the tires, throwing the car off balance as it flipped over on its back and—seconds later—bursted into flames.

"Holy shit."

Taehyung’s actions seemed to have spiked a rush of adrenaline within the members, as moments later Seokjin and Hoseok were also up and retaliating.

Kicking the tailgate open, Hoseok licked his lips excitedly as he sat cross-legged on the trunk, firing consecutive bullets that cracked Senyu's car windows. Seokjin, meanwhile, had made his way from the passengers seat to the back, standing back to back with Taehyung as they watched for each other's surroundings.

Unlike the members, Clarity could only stare with her mouth open at the anime-like action scene unveiling before her very eyes.

Her brain was a jumbled mess; she had to think of a way to prove her innocence to the characters, but at the same time to survive this attack. Pulling all her brain cells together, Clarity attempted to come up with a coherent plan amidst this chaos.

It was at that moment that she noticed it.

Sighted from the corner of her eye—a glint from the distance.

Tracking the source of the light from the building afar, her eyes landed on the unstable red dot lingering by the back of a certain black-haired man, who remained unaware of the approaching threat.

Who was the sniper aiming for? Taehyung? Seokjin?

She couldn't tell from her point of view, since both men were black-haired, dressed in a black suits, and had their backs turned from her.

If she chose to warn Taehyung, that would put her in a negative light to Seokjin, the male protagonist of this story. But if she tried to tell Taehyung, she would receive his wrath later on as Seokjin was an existence just important to Taehyung as his own life. Clarity had no time to think.

If her clarifications were futile, the best way to prove her innocence was through actions.

At that moment, rationality was overshadowed by impulse as she leaped towards both of them as a distant firing was heard in from afar.

Narrowing escaping death's doorway, the bullet drilled by as Clarity reached for the closest of the two, managing to push him out of the way.

Like a domino effect, the first fell onto the second, and both Taehyung and Seokjin tumbled back into the car's interior.

Falling onto her side, Clarity's eyes were trembling as she whipped her head around to see if the two were okay.

"You..." Seokjin's voice seemed to waver for the first time as he spoke, his eyes fixed on the girl in front of him.

At the sight of both Seokjin and Taehyung in one piece, she wiped the sweat off her forehead, only to grimace at the sharp pain that shot up her limbs. With frightened eyes, she glanced at the two men, who seemed to be just as taken back as she was.

Drowned by a sudden wave of nausea, Clarity's gaze fell blankly at the pool of fresh, pouring blood on the backseats.

_Wait._

It was her blood.

"You've got to be kidding me."

" _Clarity_!"

Taehyung's resounding yell seemed to pierce through her heart as the world around her started to spin, his voice reverberating in her ears in her faded consciousness.


	16. Seven Out of Seven

When Clarity reopened her eyes, she was back in her room.

Not the Secretary's room, but _Clarity Moon's._

Blinking twice, she stared dazingly at the foreign surrounding that had once been so familiar to her.

Everything was exactly where she had previously left them: her Seokjin poster hung gloriously on the pink stripe-patterned wall, her TATA plushie plumped on the bed, and her concert tickets laid silently on the beige table across her room.

Disheveled, she spun her head to straighten her bobbed, short hair, only to find its length reaching her waist, back to its previous state.

Bright rays escaped through the window, and she yanked open the curtains to reveal the sun hanging brilliantly above the blue sky. The clock ticked systematically, its hands displaying 1:33 PM.

Clarity couldn't believe it.

"It was a dream..?" Still baffled, she reached for her phone and opened to today's date.

October 22nd—exactly one week away from BTS's concert.

"You're telling me that's everything I've suffered through for the past month was only worth seven hours of sleep?!" Throwing TATA to the ground, Clarity groaned in exasperation.

Falling silent once more, her mind flashed back to Bangtan Corporation, the Auction, and Senyu's men. Twisting her arm in various angles, she squinted to focus on the presence of any pain.

None.

But it had all felt so _real_.

The girl paused. Wasn't this was a good sign?

In the other world—the fanfiction universe—she had just been framed as a double agent and been shot as she tried to clear her name.

Her mind spun on its track, and she realized that she had actually saved herself by returning to her original world, or waking up from her dream—she couldn't tell from the two at this point.

Clarity rose her hand in the air, smacking it right to her cheek to make sure she was back into reality. She was expecting a stinging pain in her cheek, but instead, Clarity stopped dead in her tracks.

There was no pain.

" _Of_ _course there was no pain—your role isn't complete just yet._ ”

Suddenly, it was dark again and the beams of sun light were replaced with illuminating rays of the moon. Flinching at the deep voice, Clarity spun around only to see a small silhouette by her window ledge.

It was Yeontan, staring straight at her with a condescending smile.

"What the fu-"

And with that, her consciousness slipped away once more.

* * *

"- _the_ _fuck_..!"

Clarity flew up from her bed, forehead covered in sweat as the horrifying scene replayed itself over and over in her head.

About to curse out another term of profanity, she swerved her head to see Jimin, Yoongi, and Hoseok staring at her with opened mouths, dumbstruck at her unexpected outburst.

Silence filled the room.

"...Well, it looks like you're alright," Jimin finally said, a slight smile spread across his face.

"You scared us big time," Hoseok chimed in, "Jin and Taehyung were so surprised when you pushed them aside and took the bullet for them!"

Her mind a muddled mess, Clarity barely registered their comments as she tried to figure out whether or not this was another dream. The tips of her finger sank into the soft, satin fabric beneath her as the scent of lavender filled the air. The vivid redness of the curtains appealed to her vision, and she could hear her own heart beating as she placed a palm to her chest.

"I'm back?" she finally said, glancing up at the members in perplexity.

"You've been out for three days. After you fainted, we managed to get rid of the pursuers and escape the ambush. Their plan being a failure, Senyu won't dare to do anything for now.” Jimin's voice was low as he rested his elbows on his knees. "They're going to regret this."

"No no no. That’s not what I meant.” Clarity shook her head, ignoring the silver-haired man's look of confusion. "Am I actually back? Like _back_ back? In _To Be His Possession_?"

Upon seeing her befuddlement, Yoongi rose from the seat and, without a word, headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Hoseok called from behind.

"I'm going to get the doctor," he said, knocking a finger to his head as if it was a wooden box. Before pulling on the door handle, the hacker turned around with a look of apprehension.

"It seems like she's in need of not only physical recovery."

As Yoongi was about to opened the door, it flew open by itself as a figure dashed in like a whirling hurricane, knocking the light-haired man out of the way instantly.

Gaping at the splattered Yoongi against the wall, Clarity gulped nervously at the aggression of his steps as Kim Taehyung threw himself by the side of the bed. He cupped her cheeks with his large, slender hands that oozed of warmth as his penetrating gaze scrutinized the girl before him, peeling her inside out.

"Are you okay?" His calm voice was coated with a lingering fragility, and Clarity blinked at unexpectedly vulnerability in his expression.

Why was Kim Taehyung so worried about her?

"I-I'm fine." Lightly pushing him away, she then flinched at the stinging pain that shot through from her arm.

The expanding pain cleared her head, fulling bringing her back into reality. Taking a deep breath, Clarity smiled softly at the black-haired man. "Thank you for worrying about me."

His eyes softened at her words, and Taehyung lightly caressed her shoulder with the tip of his fingers, treating it like a delicate sculpture.

There was something different about the man, but Clarity couldn't seem to pinpoint the change.

Seeing the his strange reactions, she couldn't help but enter another trance. If she was back into the story, that meant everything was still running on an existing plot. However, Taehyung was very much hostile towards her in the original story.

Although it appeared that she was currently safe, she wondered how long his amiableness would last.

Regardless, it seemed that although not free of sacrifice, she really did surmount her first death flag.

Letting out a long, relieving exhale, Clarity leaned back on her pillow.

"Thank you all for worrying about me." She reassured the members with a smile. "I feel fine now. I just had quite an extraneous dream and had to clear my head."

"That's a relief. Seokjin and Jungkook would be glad to know that you've woken up," Hoseok said, "they’ve been caught up in consecutive meetings with other organizations. After all, a revenge was in its planning stages."

"It's not in Kim Seokjin's nature to take a bomb without throwing two in return." Jimin shrugged a smile.

"So... We don't need doctor?" Yoongi said from afar as he kept a six-foot distance from the black haired man.

Clarity chuckled lightly at his unintended deadpan. She wasn't expecting to find comfort trifles things like these, but now that she was back into this word, she might as well make most out of her circumstance.

"The doctor isn't enough—we need Namjoon," Taehyung said, "he's back from America today, right?"

At the familiar name, Clarity's ears perked up.

"He's talking about our friend, Kim Namjoon. You probably never heard of him, but he's also a member of Bangtan Co," Hoseok explained.

The girl nodded while mentally scoffing in disbelief. Never heard of him? She religiously listened to his UNICEF speech everyday.

Ever since her arrival to this world, Clarity had always pondered over the whereabouts of the BTS leader's counterpart. In the original story, Namjoon was a mysterious source of power among the mafias, since he spent the majority of his time researching and administering missions abroad. Before formally introduced as Bangtan's strategist, he was already known as a legendary figure in the industry; whatever he's involved in, the other side will inevitably lose.

That was the capabilities of Kim Namjoon.

"Namjoon's our strategist, but he's also a doctor. He'll be able to look at your arm to see if it's okay," Taehyung said, gently gazing into her eyes, warming her heart with his reassuring nod.

Squinting her eyes from his glowing figure, she was almost certain a white halo had appeared behind him and that the man was an angel sent from above.

Thrown back by his ethereal beauty, Clarity decided the bullet to her arm was worth it.

Now all she needed was to see Kim Namjoon to complete her OT7 dream, and as a ARMY, she could die satisfied.

"I heard talks about me?"

It was at that moment. As if her wishes were heard, a certain blond man strolled in the room, his familiar dimples creasing in with his grin. Clarity melted on the spot.

Before Namjoon could greet the group with a wave, he was bombarded by a hoard of hugs as the members threw themselves over the tall man simultaneously. At the sight of the boys all clumped together like putty, Clarity let out a soft giggle.

The gang was finally all here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally we have the whole group! i was actually going to put joon in later in a really critical part of the plot,  
> but i decided to make it earlier because i felt bad that he was the only one without an appearance yet and just went for it LOL
> 
> anyway, please let me know your opinions on this chapter and dont forget to leave kudos if you enjoyed it!


	17. Last Resort

"The wound isn't too deep. You got a good physique, so a few days of rest should be enough." Namjoon's voice was smooth yet stable, each of his words pounding into Clarity's heart as she sat straighter than ever.

The two of them were in the guest room, which Namjoon had occupied as a temporary infirmary to check her injuries. Absorbed in his examinations, his sharp gaze was fixed on her shoulder, and his intense focus gave Clarity a chance to clearly observe the attractive man in front of her.

With his blonde hair flipped to the side, this Namjoon resembled RM from the Map of the Soul Era. Yet as a doctor he held a more mature composure, grounded with an intellectual aura. His silver-rimmed glasses dangled freely from his chest pocket as he carefully moved her arm around with one hand, holder her shoulder in place with the other.

Noticing her dreamy expression, the man slightly tilted his head with a smile.

"You're the new secretary?"

"Ah, yes! Thank you for the examination," Clarity said, surprised at the sudden conversation he initiated.

"The members seem to be have taken a liking to you," he said, his smile transforming into a smirk. "Particularly Taehyung."

At his suggestion, Clarity almost laughed out loud. Kim Taehyung—the one who was ultimately going to cause her death—taking a liking to her?

She would be more grateful if the man would simply spare her life.

"I'm afraid you've misunderstood." She shook her head with a polite chuckle. "Mister Kim Taehyung only did that to express his appreciation for what happened on the auction. I noticed there was a sniper aiming for him and CEO Kim, so I had to protect them."

"Brave, aren't you?" Namjoon lifted an eyebrow.

"I merely performed my duty."

Satisfied at her own professional answer, she leaned back in her chair with a smile. In the original plot, Namjoon was Bangtan's strategist, but he did not emerge as an important character until near the climax of the story. Although the man's early appearance was a surprise, he was unlikely to be a threat to her survival.

Clarity's eyebrows furrowed as she struggled to remember the details leading up to the latest chapter. After getting kidnapped in place of Y/N, the Secretary was left to die by the members, and ultimately killed by Senyu's men. To get to the bottom of things, Seokjin took Y/N to the banquet... But what was before that?

A sigh escaping from her lips, Clarity wished she had read the fanfiction more carefully.

"You're a lot more interesting than the other brunette in the house." Across from her, Namjoon crossed one leg over another, eyeing her as if he was studying a foreign specimen. "Yinn Naron... Was it? She was like a terrified bunny when I entered the room."

At the mentioning of the female protagonist, Clarity's heart took a leap in her chest. The encounter with Namjoon had thrown her thoughts into a whirl, and she had almost forgotten about the appearance of the other main character.

"Is she okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I gave her some sedatives, so she's now asleep," Namjoon said, then shook his head dramatically. "First you, now her. I'm quite concerned by my member's increasing desire for female presence in the house. Miss Secretary, I advise you take caution when interacting with them—who knows when they'll lose it."

"You sure like to joke around." Clarity laughed half-heartedly, only to stop as she was met with his deadpan expression.

"I'm completely serious," Namjoon said.

"Ah..."

Suddenly, a buzz in his pocket went off as the man reached for his phone. Glancing at the notification, Namjoon pulled himself up and signalled a wave.

"We should get going," he said, "Seokjin is asking for you."

* * *

Beyond the wooden doors to Seokjin's office sat none other than the man himself, his legs rested on the table as he twirled around his pen, visibly annoyed.

Clarity carefully sat herself on the couch, making sure to not make a single sound as her bum contacted the cushion beneath her. The black haired man was not in a good mood, which meant any careless move could put her life in danger.

"Jin, what's with the long face? Jungkook stole your chocolate again?" Namjoon strode across the room, ignoring Clarity's hanging jaw as he smacked the eldest across the head.

Clarity almost gasped out loud at his nonchalance towards Seokjin, who looked like he was about to murder the closest man.

"No. It was Hoseok. Can you believe it? I leave my ramen out by the counter for a moment, and when I turn around, it's gone." Seokjin's eyes were dark as he let out a long, gloomy sigh. "This household has no place for me anymore."

It was then when he finally noticed Clarity, sitting quietly on the couch, like a tamed frog.

Upon seeing her tense expression, the black-haired man leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm with an amusing smile.

"Miss Secretary, you seem well."

"Yes sir, uh I mean no sir. I am _so_ sorry about my blunder at the auction. I did not expect for them to have suspected me ever since I joined, and I really had no idea they would put a tracking device in my suit." Clarity's eyes were spinning as she spat out all her excuses, praying that her sincerity would reach him.

Seokjin simply just stared at her as an interminable silence fell upon the three of them. Seeing his abnormally calm expression, Clarity was almost certain that this would mark the end of her journey.

_Goodbye, world._

Beside them, Namjoon rolled his eyes with a yawn. "That's quite enough. Stop scaring the girl."

Finally, the silence was broken by the blond man's words as the atmosphere returned to normal.

Seokjin laughed half-heartedly, his shoulders shaking from the action. "Sorry about that, Miss Secretary. I didn't mean to scare you. It was just so funny how you tensed up like that."

At his words, Clarity released a breath that she had unknowingly been holding for almost a minute.

"Wait... So I'm not being suspected?"

"Your name was cleared when you risked your life to save Taehyung and I." He smiled. "I'm not a saint, but I know a genuine action when I see it. I could tell you were really just trying to protect us. Miss Secretary, I thank you."

"It's nothing..." Clarity said, surprised at the sudden sincerity in his voice.

"No need to keep the formality. If you have any needs or questions, please feel free to reach out to me or the other members. Take it as a sign of gratitude on our behalf." Namjoon smiled, showing the depth of his dimples.

Nodding at his offer, Clarity returned a smile. Although she was relieved to have narrowly escaped her first death flag, with one twist after another, it appeared that this book was not planning to give her a break.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go somewhere," Seokjin said as he checked his watch.

"To Yinn?" Clarity asked without thinking.

At her question, the black haired man gave her a look of perplexity.

"Who?"

"Yinn Noran. The girl Jimin brought back. Aren't you going to check on her?" she said, this time more hesitantly.

"Why should I? Jimin's the one that brought her back. I'm already doing him a favour by letting her stay, so there's really no reason for me to provide further hospitality," Seokjin responded.

"Ah, is that so..."

 _No reason, my ass. This is your future love you're talking about_.

Clarity stared in incredulity at the man standing before of her. Originally, Seokjin was supposed to be extra attentive to the female protagonist. That was why he decided to save her and bring her home in the first place.

But so far, not only did he have no interactions with his future girl friend whatsoever, he also held zero interest in her.

 _Zero_.

It made absolutely no sense. 

At the speculating looks from the two man, Clarity cleared her throat. "I thought I'd just ask. You can ignore my question."

Unconvinced at her excuse, Seokjin stepped towards hers slowly, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. "First the auction, now here. You seem to be fixed on me and that girl."

Pressured by his overwhelming presence, Clarity subconsciously shuffled back to keep distance between them. She glanced at Namjoon for help, but only to receive his innocuous smile as the man sat by the couch with popcorn in his hands. On the other hand, Seokjin continued to push forward with his assertions.

Tripping on the tile beneath her, Clarity found herself backed against a wall as the black haired man pushed an arm beside her.

"Miss Secretary... Are you hiding something?"

Taken back by Seokjin's unexpected confrontation, she gulped nervously. Her mind was running a marathon as the girl tried to come up with stories, excuses, anything.

In the end, she decided to go with resignation.

"Okay, okay! I'll spill," she said, giving into his persistent gaze.

Seokjin released her from his encirclement, and the girl wobbled to the side. Holding up both hands in defence, Clarity inhaled sharply before looking towards the two men.

"Promise me my safety after what I'm about to confess?"

"I'm Kim Seokjin. I would never hurt someone who tried to save me," he said sincerely.

"You have our word," Namjoon agreed, smiling in a way that held no expectation for her response.

"You see..." Clarity eyed the two nervously, a drop of sweat sliding down her temple.

She would have never thought the day would come so soon where she would execute her last resort, but at this point, there were no alternatives.

It was all or nothing.

"I'm from another world."

 _Plop_.

The room was dead silent with Namjoon's bag of popcorn on the floor as the blonde man remained perfectly still, like a JPEG. Clarity fidgeted awkwardly as the two man stared at her, dumbfounded.

Then came Seokjin's windshield wiper laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey! Hope you’re all safe and well. Please feel free to leave any kind of feedback or thoughts on this chapter or the story’s progression in general to help a fellow writer like myself to improve and to provide better content for you all <3


	18. For You

"I am from another world."

First, there was silence.

Then, Seokjin's laughter.

The man released a short, scrubbing-like laugh before suddenly facing her with a straight face.

"And I'm the gorgeous man created that world.”

"I'm serious.” Clarity frowned.

"So am I," he said, his arm folded in front of his chest. "Listen, if you're looking for a salary raise, just tell me. No need to go around the point with such an pretext."

"Suppose what you're saying is true," Namjoon cut in. "Where is the evidence?"

"Huh?"

"You can't just make a statement like such and have no way to back up your claim, am I wrong?"

Clarity bit her lips, realizing that the man had a point.

What was she supposed to say?

_Kim Seokjin is the main character of this book and Yinn is the female protagonist, so he was supposed to pay extra attention to her and eventually fall in love with her!_

If Clarity told them that, what awaited her would be mental care.

She could speak her knowledge about the story, but considering the inconsistency of the plot in its current progression, there was no way of knowing for sure if the future events would occur. She could also name each of the member's weight, height, blood type, favourite colour, favourite food, and so on, but that would make her seem more like a stalker rather than someone from another world.

In other words, she was in a predicament.

As Clarity was deep in thought, the door to Seokjin's office creaked open.

Poking his head into the room, Taehyung peered forward from the door, his dark curls dangling before his forehead from the leaning movement.

"Oh, it's Taehyung," Seokjin gestured a wave. "What brings you here?"

At his question, the former swiftly snuck a glance at the girl before replying with a light shrug. "I was passing by."

"Well, you've come at the right time. Namjoon and I were just about to start the meeting about the plan." Jin paused for a moment before his eyes landed on the short-haired girl by the door. "Miss Secretary, you may leave now. You're still injured, so feel free to rest for a few days. No need to come to work."

"Thank you for your concern, but I am alright. I wish to be back starting from tomorrow," Clarity said in a monotone voice with a bow.

If it was possible, she would have preferred a permanent break, but that wasn’t likely to happen given the current situation. In that case, it would be better to do everything to seem like a good secretary to gain favourability and ensure survival.

After all, that is her top priority.

"You now..." Jin raised an eyebrow at her adamant response.

Clarity could see his amused look, but decided to ignore it as she headed towards the exit. Before she closed the door behind her, she happened to make eye contact with Taehyung, who was staring back at her with an explainable gaze. Clarity felt chills ascending behind her back as her mind flashed to her death in the original plot.

"Please ignore my nonsense from earlier," she spoke to Jin with a calm smile, subconsciously avoiding Taehyung’s eyes. "And I thank you in advance for the salary raise."

She had to survive no matter what.

* * *

The moonless night descended upon the Bangtan mansion in silence.

Clarity ensured that her footsteps were unheard as she crept down the spiralling stairs. It was almost three in the morning, and she was woken up by her rumbling stomach. These days, it was getting incredibly hard to even have a meal in peace without some unforeseen events occurring.

Sighing internally, Clarity made her way to the kitchen. She was about to open the fridge doors when the lights suddenly flickered on. The abrupt illumination of the room scared the wits out of the poor girl as she yanked the fridge door with excessive strength. Losing her balance at the unexpected recoil, Clarity ended up stepping back in a wall-like figure.

"You seem to always be on the verge of falling."

Kim Taehyung spoke to her with a frown, his low voice echoing around the empty kitchen.

"W-what are you doing here?" Taken back by the unexpected presence, Clarity stammered in surprise. She couldn't hide her emerging frown as she stepped back from the black-haired man.

Clarity found this situation ridiculous, as it was right after she had mentioned about never being able to eat in peace.

"I was completing a request from Jin." Letting out a soft sigh, Taehyung took out a handkerchief and tossed it in the sink.

Clarity flinched at the red substance that seeped out as it stained itself with the remaining water from the counter. She subconsciously gulped as Taehyung's ocean-like pupils fixed onto hers.

"What are you doing here?"

"... I was hungry," she said.

But not anymore.

Clarity cleared her throat nervously, sneaking a glance at the handkerchief in the sink before affirming that it was, indeed, covered in blood.

Taehyung's role in the original story was never specified to the reader, but it was deductible that it was one full of violence. With CEO Seokjin, Hacker Yoongi, Strategist Namjoon, Networker Hoseok, Celebrity Jimin, and Informant Jungkook, someone had to be the active executor of the plans.

She glanced at the raven-haired man, who stood with a stern yet collected demeanour. He was someone who had grew up in darkness, who had grown accustomed to the cruel and hostile side of the world where survival was the least consistent factor in life.

Clarity did not want anything to do with that world.

Taehyung was unaware of her thoughts as he pulled up another package, dropping it on the kitchen counter. The noise from the large package as it contacted the surface reverberated throughout the space, and Clarity was snapped out of her thoughts.

"Shhhh! You're going to wake the other members up." She hushed him with an urgent expression. She then took notice of the package, bundled carefully with tape and other coverings. "What's this?"

"Items from the Underground Auction," Taehyung answered. He flipped open a combat knife and slid the sharp side smoothly across the box to cut open the tape. "You bought them, no?"

Ah. She remembered now.

Staring at the items in front of her, all of which were veiled preciously by a several layers of packaging, Clarity recalled her materialistic spendings at the Auction. She had spent more than half of the funding that Jin gave her in his black card in order to spite Senyu. Seokjin's nonchalant reaction flashed in her mind as she recalled how the eldest casually told her to keep the items, as he had no use for them.

Even though it was not her money, she wanted to slap herself for being so caught up by the adrenaline of blowing cash.

_What a waste!_

Why did she have to go and spend all those money when she could have saved some for her life after surmounting her death flags? Clarity considered storing them away for a collective resale once she survived the rest of the plot line in order to live an affluent life.

 _Tap_.

Eyeing all the valuables before her, she regretfully pushed aside her inner turmoil.

 _Tap_. _Tap_.

Taehyung subconsciously tapped the tip of the knife to the marbled counter as he observed the girl before her, curious of what went on in her head. Every time he messed with the knife, it would make a clear yet piercing sound as it scratched against the table surface.

On the other hand, this noise was delivered into Clarity's ears as an unspoken threat. Goosebumps crawled up her back.

_Why does he have such a scary look on his face?_

She stared wearily at her death flag, who seemed to be observing her with an intrigued expression. Clarity cleared her throat a couple of times to hide her nervousness.

It was then when a certain item caught her eye.

"Oh!"

Pleasantly surprised, she swiftly picked up one of the first items she had obtained at the auction. Taehyung blinked in puzzlement as he watched her unroll the covering layer by layer until the item was exposed in its original form.

It was the Leica Camera—the camera with a price that was enough to buy a house in Seoul.

She stared at the treasure-like item in her hands for a moment before pushing it towards the man who stood across from her. Taehyung, who usually had an intimidating and composed gaze, noticeably tensed as her actions. He looked at the camera, then at the person who offered the camera.

"This is for me?" Although still stoic, his voice softened like a feathery pillow.

"It wasn't with my money, but I got it because it reminded me of you.” Clarity smiled awkwardly. “You seemed like the type of person to be into taking pictures."

She was talking about Kim Taehyung from BTS, but there was no reason for her to say that.

Given the nature of the fanfiction setup, this Kim Taehyung likely did not have time to do trivial things like photography. However, Clarity couldn't help but feel a sense of bitterness as she compared the lifestyles of the similar yet drastically Kim Taehyungs in the two worlds. Although he was her walking death-flag in this story, she wanted Kim Taehyung's life to include aspects beyond darkness and violence.

Of course, she also hoped that if there ever came a day where he was going to kill her, this gift would serve as a moment of hesitation for his decision.

... _Does he have something against cameras?_

The man's silence was driving her crazy as Clarity apprehension increased watching him soundlessly scrutinize the camera. Finally, he took it from her, and the latter let out a small sigh of relief. The camera, which Clarity had to support with both hands, seemed petite as it rested on top of Taehyung's palm.

"...Thank you." These two words seemed like a foreign language coming out of the raven-haired man's lips.

"You can throw it away if you don't like it, but I think it suits you." She smiled, relieved that her actions did not anger him.

From the corner of her eye, Clarity noticed once again the blood handkerchief and shuddered. Ignoring Taehyung, who was be weighing the camera in his slender hands, she did not want to remain in the same space as the horrifying crime evidence and turned around.

"I'm gonna head upstairs to get some shut eye before work. Make sure you close the lights when you head up."

Frowning, the short-haired girl rubbed her empty stomach as she realized her trip to the kitchen had ended up futile.

Clarity dragged her feet up the stairs, unaware of the lingering gaze of a certain raven-haired man, who was feeling quite different after receiving his first gift from someone other than his members.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> clarity: i really hope he doesnt kill me,,, pls spare my life mr walking death flag  
> tae (oblivious): my first gift... 
> 
> Hehe hope you enjoyed their interactions


	19. What About Negotiations?

As she had promised, Clarity went to work the next day.

The moment she entered the front doors of Bangtan Corporation, however, she realized something was off.

Unlike the usual work atmosphere, the entrance to the conference room was blocked by several employees as they hovered over the closed binds that blocked the situation in the conference space. Feeling apprehensive, she poked her head over the ruckus to get a sense of what was going on.

One of her coworkers noticed her presence and spoke up. "Miss Secretary! Aren't you supposed to be in the conference room?"

Clarity blinked dumbly at his assumption of an order that she never heard about until now. She was certain that Seokjin did not mention this to her in yesterday’s conversation.

"What's going on inside the conference room?" she asked.

"People from Senyu's here," the coworker responded, "they came unannounced, so something big must have happened. I figured you would have to be there too, since you're CEO Kim's secretary."

An ominous foreboding came upon her. Clarity vaguely recalled the members' talks about a plan in progress, and Jimin's words resurfaced in her mind.

_It was not in Kim Seokjin's nature to take a bomb without throwing two in return._

As a result of the Underground Auction, Senyu had suffered great losses in their reputation. Like Bangtan Co, while Senyu was secretly affiliated with the underground mafia world, they were still officially registered as a renowned company in the business industry. Although the company's split identities were two sides of the same coin, one side could not show without hiding the other. The mafia and the business industry were, in the end, two clashing worlds.

As a mafia organization, Bangtan was on the opposing side of Senyu. Strategically speaking, however, there was no benefit in carrying this bad blood into their business decisions.

A frown subconsciously made its way to Clarity's expression. Just what was happening inside that room?

As if to answer her internal inquiries, a silhouette smoothly made its appearance amidst the crowd of spectators. A path automatically paved itself as the employees moved out of the way at his presence.

"Excuse me. Coming through!" Jung Hoseok's usual cheery voice echoed through the room as he strode towards the entrance. A certain silver-haired man trailed after him silently, the prominent bags under his eyes complementing well with his annoyed expression.

"Move." Placing his hand on the door handle, Yoongi made sure to speak in a tone harsh enough for the employees to voluntarily disperse themselves.

It was then Clarity noticed his gaze fall onto her. Yoongi signalled her to open the door with a slight tilt of the head. "Lead the way."

"Our wonderful Suga has arrived with the material needed for the conference to progress smoothly. Miss Secretary, please show him the way," Hoseok piped in.

A smile was plastered on his face, contrasting with his surprisingly cold eyes. He had used Yoongi's mafia alias instead of his actual name, which meant whatever material he had in possession was related to the Underground, more specifically, the auction that had occurred a few days ago.

Blinking twice, Clarity looked at the door handle to the conference room, then to Hoseok's unmoving smile. She had an ominous feeling, but decided that playing along was the best option. With a sigh, she opened the door and led the silver-haired hacker into the room.

A dreadful tension inundated the silent space, which was visibly darkened by the closed blinds. Subconsciously gulping, Clarity glanced nervously at the back of a certain man dressed fully in a black suit, expecting to be hit by Seokjin's intimidating aura.

She was hit by a wave of intimidation alright—except it wasn't from Bangtan's CEO.

Clarity's eyes widened as the man she had been talking to at the kitchen counter last night now leaned back in the conference chair with a chilling air of oppression. As usual, his dark curls dropped before his forehead. Although it covered a part of his eyes, it did not block their piercing gaze.

The oval conference table was seated with only three people, with Senyu's two men on the further end of the room while Kim Taehyung sat on the closer end.

"Where is CEO Kim?" One of Senyu's representatives spoke up, his voice coated with an obvious malice. At the entrance of a young woman and a silver-haired man, both who he did not recognize, the representative started to grow impatient. "We were told to come here because it was an emergency situation, but what is this?"

_An emergency situation?_

Confusion was visible on Clarity's face. She had originally speculated Senyu to be the ones who initiated this meeting in order to get back at Bangtan for tarnishing their reputation, but it appeared that the opposite case was true.

_Why was Seokjin absent? More importantly, why was it Taehyung who came in his place?_

Her burning questions dissipated into thin air as the raven-haired man beside her finally spoke up after making eye contact with Yoongi and the folder in his hands.

"CEO Kim will not be coming, and I will be speaking in his stead." Taehyung's voice was firm yet cold. "Although it won't be much of a conversation."

"...You're The Variable, aren't you?" The more composed representative identified the raven-haired man.

He recalled Kevin's words of caution before they left for Bangtan Corporation earlier in the day. He was advised to avoid direct conflict with Kim Seokjin's group, as they were all individuals with extraordinary abilities. Seeing the young man in front of him, who was reeking the aura of death, the representative couldn't help but feel goosebumps on his back.

Kevin, the right hand man of Senyu's leader, had sent him and his coworker to Bangtan's company to retrieve an item. He had sent them with full awareness of their membership in the mafia, while also knowing that they were present at the Underground Auction. This only meant one thing.

This conference wasn't one between Bangtan and Senyu of the business world, but the two mafia organizations in the Underground.

Sensing the peculiar atmosphere in the room, Clarity flinched when Yoongi handed Taehyung the thin paper package, which the latter tossed indifferently onto the conference table.

"W-what is the meaning of this?" The impatient representative stared the material with confusion.

Taehyung ignored his outburst. "See for yourself."

Still eyeing him with caution, the calmer representative took the package into his hands and unrolled the red string that sealed the front. His eyes widened at the content inside. It was a single USB.

"...How?" The man seemed to realize the significance of the item as his feigned calmness was breaking apart. He jerked his head towards Taehyung, who sat with a stoic indifference.

"Based on your reaction, I suppose we don't have to show the video on the big screen," Suga stated in a calm yet mocking tone. "I assume our representatives would prefer to not witness the laughable sight of your escapes at the Underground Auction, anyway."

Clarity's eyes shook at the hacker's blunt words and shifted her gaze towards the representative's flabbergasted expression. Even she had thought there were no CCTV recording of the Underground Auction process, since a video existence of the illegal event would be detrimental to any mafia organizations with a business identity.

Who would have thought that Bangtan Corporation would create evidence even at the risk of exposing themselves?

With the video footages at hand, releasing them would be a huge punch in the face to Senyu’s business line. Clarity could already foresee the downfall of their stocks and reputation as a upright corporation.

"Don't make me laugh. Bangtan attended the auction that day as well. Are you going to throw your own kind under the bus?" One of the representatives smacked his palm onto the table.

Unaffected by his angry tantrum, the hacker, Suga, brushed his bangs leisurely with a shrug. "What auction?" He dragged his words out on purpose, and cocked his head to the side with an ignorant smile. "I don't see any Bangtan in the footage. Do you?"

The two representatives were unable to hide their shock.

Clarity looked over to Yoongi, who stood there with a mocking smile. She noticed once again his darkened eyes, which were full of fatigue.

He must have spent all his time modifying the hidden cameras around the auction space. It was strenuous, technical work; he had to conceal the camera's ability to take in the presence of all the attendees while making sure the camera angles and positions would not reveal Bangtan's own attendance. In order for the cameras to go unnoticed by the examiners in the auction space, he had to maintain a high focus for hours and alter the cameras based on the situation in real time.

The representative's expression was visibly sour as his frown progressed further into a scowl. Understanding his current situation, the man had no choice but to accept his disadvantage and go along with the enemy's plan.

"Cut to the chase—how much do you want for the footage?"

With his weakness exposed, the representative admittedly sighed. Kevin must have been aware of this. He knew he had to get the evidence from Bangtan at all costs.

The corners of Taehyung's lips lifted into a smirk. "Name the price."

"Five million," the representative said without hesitation.

"Ten million," Taehyung retorted.

Clarity had to stop herself from gasping out loud. With shaking eyes, she listened to the price that was sufficient to buy two houses in Seoul.

The representative sniggered internally at the black haired man's naivety. He may be notoriously known as The Variable amongst the mafia people, but he was ultimately a business amateur. To let a novice handle an important negotiation as such—that was Kim Seokjin's mistake.

"Seven million," the representative responded. He had intentionally started with a lower price, knowing the man across from him would call a higher number. With this, the benchmark for bargaining has been set.

The representative's smug expression froze at V's next words.

"Twenty million."

" _This wasn't how negotiations were supposed to work...?_ " The man's eyes widened at the price, which had doubled from its original proposal.

Not only was he silent, the entire room was still.

"T-this makes no sense!" His impatient coworker, who would have flipped the table by now, could only stare dumbfounded at the turn of events.

Ignoring their shouts of disbelief, V continued on. "Forty million."

This time, even Clarity let out a quiet gasp at the astronomical number that would have fed her entire family line in the real world for the rest of their lives.

Beside her, Yoongi leaned against the wall casually, scoffing in amusement.

"You crazy bastard.” The impatient representative couldn't stop the profanity coming out of his mouth.

"Thirty-five million. I can't go any higher than that," the calmer representative said through clenched jaws.

V pretended to contemplate his final offer, before brushing it off with a sneer.

"Fifty million." The raven-haired man's voice was stoic with composure.

Kim Taehyung had witnessed Seokjin's way of business negotiations for years. The eldest was adamant, manipulative, and cunning—he played with his opponents, who danced helplessly on his palm with no ways of resistance.

Taehyung wasn't Seokjin.

However, it did not matter.

Although he was less knowledgeable in business strategies, it made no difference.

All he had to do was reach his goal.

"Well?" The Variable leaned back in his chair.

It finally hit Senyu's men that this was never meant to be a negotiation in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was so satisfying to write. it was about time our bangtan kick some asses HEHEHEH-
> 
> Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter!


	20. It’s Okay

Sliding a frozen pizza into the oven, Clarity couldn't take her eyes off the cheque on the counter that was equivalent to more than twenty houses in Seoul.

The negotiation had gone smoothly, with Senyu ultimately paying fifty-million for the video footage.

Now back at Bangtan's mansion, Clarity was cooking up a meal for the group while Taehyung and Hoseok headed to the living room. Yoongi had disappeared into his room the moment they entered the house. He was probably going to catch up on sleep, so Clarity would not expect to see him for the next few days.

"You're back!" Excited to see his members, Jungkook throttled down the stairs from the second floor, followed by Seokjin's casual strides.

When the youngest noticed her presence in the room, his steps visibly slowed down. Clarity smiled discreetly as she watched him try to walk in a more composed manner.

"I assume the negotiation went well?" Seokjin said, eyeing the cheque on the counter.

"Where were you?" Clarity asked, "I didn't expect Tae, I mean, sir Kim Taehyung to be there in your place. Actually, why was I not even aware of this negotiation?"

"I told you to take the day off today. You still need to completely recover your injuries," Seokjin calmly responded before taking a look at Clarity's now-frowning face. “And as to where I was...”

The man then continued to answer the former part of her question.

"I was sleeping."

Seokjin’s statement echoed throughout the room. Clarity looked at the honest man in front of her with incredulous eyes.

"You were _what_?"

Before Seokjin could explain, a deeper voice spoke before him.

"We weren't expecting the negotiation to be today either." From behind the group, Namjoon headed down the stairs.

He took off his black-rimmed glasses with one hand and greeted the short-haired girl with a gentle nod before continuing. "Yoongi finished extracting the CCTV footage earlier than originally planned, so we figured it would be more effective to hit Senyu with a threat from behind when they least expected it rather than having them be the ones to initiate a move."

Seeing her continued apprehension, the Strategist added on.

"Seokjin and Jungkook have been working nonstop for the past few days attending conferences with other businesses to pull them onto our side. We figured it was best for someone to go in his place so the opponents do not detect any weaknesses in his fatigue."

"Our lovely Taehyung happened to be eager to participate, which was how Operation Screw-Over-Senyu's-Mentality came into existence." The eldest's facial features structured into a smug smile as his gaze fell onto the the raven-haired man, who leaned indifferently by the edge of the leather couch.

Recalling the two representatives’ pale faces after the "negotiation" ended, Clarity couldn't help but agree with his statement.

Indeed, their mentality had definitely been screwed over.

"We really couldn't leave it at just a tarnished reputation for Senyu when they injured our Miss Secretary now, could we?" With a lighthearted tone, Hoseok's sharp words sent chills down her spine as he said them with the most natural smile.

_Why was he saying these things in such a scary way?_

What was supposed to be a reassuring statement only furthered Clarity's apprehension towards her future. It was as if she had just witnessed a snippet of her approaching ending if she failed to overcome the remaining death flags. She unknowingly shuddered.

_Looks like I have to be even more careful from now on._

As if responding to her internal decision, the beeping of the oven from the kitchen shook her out of her thoughts.

"The pizza's ready!" Jungkook enthusiastically hopped towards the kitchen. A few moments later, he emerged with the steaming pepperoni pizza, which he put on the counter.

At the youngest's sparkling eyes, Clarity thought he must have been starving.

"Ah!" As if hit by a moment of epiphany, the members watched as Clarity disappeared into the storage room, only to come out after a minute carrying a large box in her arms.

The men in the room had a confused expression watching as she shuffled towards the kitchen counter with that giant box, which seemed to be slowly tipping to the side. Even the usually laidback Namjoon seemed to be examining her movements with curiosity.

"I like how none of you offered to help," Clarity mumbled under her breath as she received the fixed gazes of five full-grown man who stood as if they were scrutinizing a new specimen.

At her grumbling, the members snapped back into reality and all rushed forward to take the box from her hands.

"What's in there?" Hoseok tilted his head.

They were values worth more than her life, but Clarity didn't say that out loud.

Once the box was safety placed on the table, the short-haired girl slowly unveiled its contents, which were none other than the auction products that values over half of the amount on the black card.

Amidst the variety of items, she pulled out the bunny sculpture. Knowing that the youngest of the group was uncomfortable with interactions with women, she carefully slid item across the counter until it stopped right in front of his doe-like eyes.

"For you," she said with a smile.

"Didn't you buy this with my money?" Seokjin raised an eyebrow.

At his merciless exposure, Clarity coughed twice to cover up her awkwardness. "You told me to do whatever I want with it, so I'm redistributing them. It's better than leaving these expensive items in the storage room to collect dust."

A baffled expression was on Jungkook's face as he looked at the artistic sculpture. His eyes had a certain look of affection directed at the sight of the animal that seemed to resemble himself. Eventually, he looked up at Clarity with a bunny-like grin.

"Thank you, Miss Secretary."

"I'm glad you like it."

Seeing Jungkook loosen up around her gave Clarity a sense of accomplishment.

"Miss Secretary, which one is mine?" Hoseok asked, and she internally melted at his child-like tone.

"How about me? I expect a fitting present out of all these candidates." Seokjin also spoke up.

"Who am I, Santa Claus?" Clarity chuckled, "all of these were bought with the black card. You can pick anything that you see fit. I just happened to see something that's suited Jungkook, which was why I offered it to him."

_And the camera_.

At that moment, her gaze unknowingly steered towards a certain raven-haired man, who happened to be also glancing at her. Taehyung seemed to share her thoughts as he made a gesture of a camera click with his finger, a soft smile on his face.

Clarity felt a wave of heat filling her cheeks at the small action and subconsciously looked away.

Ignoring her warm face, Clarity followed the members into the kitchen as they filled their plates with slices of pizza. It felt a bit strange, eating dinner with five grown man, who happened to be both worldwide artists and competent mafia members. However, it wasn't a bad feeling.

There was a cheery atmosphere around the table as the members joked around with each other while savouring the food. For a moment, they were actually acting their age, in a way fitting for young adults. Clarity munched on the pizza that was drizzling with mozzarella, a satisfied expression present on her face.

"Come to think of it." Hoseok looked around. "Where are Yoongi and Jimin?"

"Former's sleeping—as expected—and the latter is guesting a runway show," Seokjin replied nonchalantly before smirking. "Too bad they're missing out on the celebration party and gifts."

"They'll be present for our trip though, right?" Jungkook mentioned casually, and Clarity's ears perked up at the familiar scenario.

In the original plot, the group, along with Yinn Naron, went on a trip together to check out Jungkook's new wooden cabin. This was where Yinn, having somehow lost her way in the forest, were ambushed by the subordinates of the unnamed ultimate boss, who received assassination orders. The Secretary witnessed her struggles, but tried to leave her behind. As a result, she was caught by the organization, taken hostage in place of the female protagonist, and died a sad, sad death because no one from Bangtan came for her.

"Of course," Namjoon replied with a smile.

Recalling her second death flag visibly dimmed her mood, and the slice of pizza on her hand now seemed barely half as tasty. Noticing her conflicted gaze, Taehyung tilted his head slightly to the side to better observe of the short-haired girl who sat in the seat across from his.

While Clarity was planning her next steps towards survival, someone else seemed to be truly enjoying his meal.

"Hyung, are you topping pizza with barbecue chips?" The youngest noted the strange actions as Seokjin's hand, which was still holding a few pieces of chips, stopped in midair.

"Jungkook-ah," the older man started speaking in a weirdly profound manner, "sometimes, the world's wonders can only be explained by the unexplainable."

Taehyung shook his head at Seokjin’s nonsense, which was saying nothing and something at the same time, serving only to confuse the youngest.

With a satisfied grin, Seokjin continued on with his pizza-chip combination while ignoring the confused Jungkook, who was still trying to figure out the meaning of his profound words.

* * *

After devouring the food, the group was split up in two groups, where Jungkook, Hoseok, and Seokjin took care of the dishes while the other four rested in the living room.

Seokjin was engaged in an intense racing game against Jungkook, and his complaints about the latter's skills could be heard from across the room.

As an aftermath for eating five consecutive slices of pizza, Clarity felt stuffed and decided to go to the balcony to cool down.

She felt a gust of coldness reach her cheeks as she opened the doors. Leaning on the ledge, she gazed towards the starless sky above her head. Maybe it was because the moon was also nowhere to be seen, but it was darker than usual.

"Are you okay?"

Clarity blinked in surprise, realizing that Taehyung had followed her to the balcony. Perhaps it was the lingering warm atmosphere from the dinner, but she was not as wary of his existence right now as to before.

"I'm fine, I just ate too much.” Clarity laughed half-heartedly. 

If the plot was functioning properly, this seemed fitting for a cliched moment where she would get to hear a character’s tragic backstory. Since Taehyung's past was never properly mentioned in _To Be His Possession_ , she was actually quite curious about his childhood.

The two of them raised their heads towards the lightless sky. To Clarity, the pitch darkness above reflected her ambiguous future. She was so certain to do anything for survival—she still was—but the fanfiction world that was supposed to follow a set storyline had been slowly diverging off its tracks. That put her in a state of both anxiety and uncertainty.

Was it really possible for her to surmount her death flags?

And if she did end up overcoming them, would she really return to her previous world?

...Did she really want to return to the old world?

She realized that she had been quiet for too long, and that Taehyung was gazing at her with a peculiar expression, his dark pupils coated with a glint of curiosity.

"I was just thinking about the past," she said hesitantly. She was deciding on the extent of her thoughts to share that would be the most effective to gain his sympathy. "Before I arrived here—as a Secretary, I mean—I had another life somewhere else on the planet. It wasn't a very fulfilling life, but I figured it was sufficient for me to get by."

Indeed, her previous life was as typical as it could be for a normal university student in Seoul. She studied, juggled part-time jobs, and occasionally met up with her friends. It wasn't anything exciting, but her expectations for herself in the old world wasn't high in the first place.

She was alive, but not living.

"But when I got here, things felt so much more different. I met all of you, went on missions, and even beat up a person for the first time in my life.” She chuckled at the recollection of her reversal kick that had sent the intruder headfirst onto the marbled floor.

She then recalled Kim Taehyung's ethereal appearance that night, which seemed to resemble to the man in front of her right now.

Clarity wasn't sure why she was telling him all of this. Maybe it was the coldness getting to her. Maybe it was the complicated look in his eyes that seemed to invite her to pour her thoughts into open space.

"It's a bit ironic, but I feel like I'm living right now."

The raven-haired man's eyes slightly widened at her words. He was looking at the girl who always distanced herself from him members, as if there was an insurmountable wall between them. He was watching that wall slowly deteriorate as she voiced her inner thoughts for the first time.

Of course, Clarity didn't want to die. But to a degree, she was already as good as dead in her old world.

Coming from a family with a poor financial background, she was someone who lived off support from relatives and government funding programs. If she had remained in her world, she would probably spend the next decade or so trying to pay off student debt. She was doing the utmost just to achieve minimum results.

Was she really satisfied with the way she was living?

"...I want to live. Not just be alive."

Unknowingly muttering her concluding thoughts out loud, Clarity's eyes shook as she took in all her ranting from earlier, her voice replaying in her ears. She was expecting to hear the tragic backstory of the person beside her, but she ended up bringing up her own tedious life experiences instead.

_How_ _embarrassing_!

As she contemplated on whether to bail for the kitchen, the man beside her spoke up.

"I was the same." He paused a moment before continuing. "After my parents died, I was taken into Seokjin hyung's family. But before that happened, I had to survive in the alleyways and live off the pities of others. I was doing everything to survive. I was barely hanging on."

... _I_ _don't think they're exactly the same?_

Clarity compared her student-debts to his experience living on the streets, and decided to shut up.

"I've experienced the bottom, which is why I'm okay now." His voice had a certain powerful push to it as his dark eyes stared into hers. "It is because I'm alive that I can work towards living."

His words were like the echoes of the large bells that hung by the top of towers. One hit would release its voice far and wide, reaching the ears of its listeners with certainty.

"I have think it's okay for us to start living."

It may have been her imagination, but at his words, the sky seemed to have become a little brighter.


	21. You Do You

_Knock!_

The wooden doors to her room slowly creaked open and the girl timidly dove into her blanket. Cautiously, she peeked out from a gap formed by the crease to see a short-haired girl around her age—maybe a bit older—walk in with a tea set and plate of biscuits on the tray in her hands.

Two weeks have passed since Yinn Naron was rescued by members of the Bangtan Corporation at the Underground Auction. During this time, she mainly stayed in her room on the second floor, as she made sense of her situation.

After narrowly escaping the fate of being auctioned off, Yinn now had nowhere to go. Living in a rural neighbourhood had deprived her of any opportunities to establish friendships or social connections with other people, and she feared the unknown world.

Her brown eyes wide with alertness, she continued to stare through the blanket as the short-haired girl gently placed the tray on the table. It was usually Housekeeper Tara who came into her room, but regardless, Yinn felt like she knew the unfamiliar face.

She was the secretary of Kim Seokjin, the leader of Bangtan Corporation. However, Yinn also had a hunch that the girl in front of her had a presence that was more important than a mere secretary.

She recalled all the times she heard laughters and bright conversations that occurred on the other side of the hallway, only meters outside her door. The members of Bangtan Co were close with her. They were comfortable around her.

Their dynamic was something quite painful to witness for someone like Yinn, who had lived her life in darkness.

"Miss Yinn Naron, I've brought you some snacks. It's getting chilly nowadays, so we made some biscuits downstairs. Feel free do go down to get some if you need more." Her voice was calm but friendly.

Behind her, a louder voice rang out from outside the door.

"Miss Secretary, hurry up and come downstairs. We're starting without you!" Jimin's impatient voice reverberated throughout the halls. He and Jungkook were eagerly waiting for the short-haired girl to join their Maple Story game.

The fashionably-dressed man leaned past the door and poked his head into the room. At that moment, he made eye contact with the brown haired girl, who seemed to have something she wanted to say. However, Jimin merely stepped back without prompting her to speak, as if showing his disinterest.

"Miss Secretary, we'll start up the game while you're upstairs," he said casually before heading down the stairs.

Yinn couldn't help but notice the repeated use of the word _we_.

During her time here, a few members had peeked into her room out of curiosity, but none of them ever took the initiative to talk to her. Not even Kim Seokjin, the owner of the household she stayed at. She recalled the silver-haired man, who they called Park Jimin. He had saved her on the day of the auction, so she had thought he would be interested in her story.

Breaking plates by accident.

Sniffling in her room.

Getting hurt while writing.

She had tried all sorts of subtle acts when she heard their footsteps near her doorway, but the handle that held the entrance to her room never turned even once.

While these thoughts circulated in her head, Yinn spoke to the Secretary for the first time. "You seem to always be with someone."

She could not forget the day of the Auction when she had almost lost her freedom as a human being. In a large auditorium full of masked strangers with number boards in their hands, she was the target of their corrupted desires. While waiting for her turn, Yinn often glanced towards the balcony. She saw the Secretary through the thick glass window, a smug grin on her face as she raised her number pad repeatedly.

Even so, when the auction hall was bombed, the Secretary was the first to be protected, tightly protected in the embrace of those around her.

Those who cared for her.

 _Why_?

Blinking twice, Clarity stared at the timid girl that had hid herself under her blanket.

 _“You seemed to always be with someone_.”

Clarity felt awfully wronged at Yinn's passive aggressive comment. Of course she was always with someone. She was the Secretary of Bangtan Corporation. Was that an easy job? Clarity frowned.

She first had to be constantly wary about losing her life, and when she had finally gotten friendly with the members, she still had to fulfill her job as the Secretary and manager of Bangtan.

If she had the choice, she would totally choose to do nothing and sleep all day like mister Kim Seokjin with his across-the-world time schedule. But _no_. 

When the CEO of Bangtan Co was free, she had to run around other members while preparing materials for his upcoming schedules. And when she finally finished all her assigned duties, she was constantly bugged by the maknae line to sit through countless rounds of video games as they completely obliterated her with their pro-like gaming skills.

A small sigh escaped from her lips. Survival really did not come easily in any world.

A frown appeared on Clarity's face as she examined the situation. She was aware that the auction probably took a huge mental burden on the female protagonist, and that it came as no surprise for her to develop trust issues.

However, she did not expect Yinn to take so long to adjust to the Bangtan household, given that all the members were quite friendly towards her in the original plot. In fact, Clarity was certain that if she had stepped out, she'd become best friends with them in no time.

After all, that was what happened when you were the female protagonist.

"If you wish, you can come join us. I'm sure sir Jimin and sir Jungkook would not mind your presence."

Yinn's body seemed to fidget a little at her nonchalant proposal, but Clarity couldn't be bothered to say anything further than that.

In fact, the old her would have went off at the brown haired girl upon hearing her unfriendly tone, but after Clarity had arrived to this world, her perspective had changed. She now had one single emotion inside her head as she faced the female protagonist.

Indifference.

As long as Yinn did not do anything to threaten her survival, Clarity truly couldn't care less about her feelings.

Surely, she had a rough past growing up in a depressing household, but which of the Bangtan members in the novel have not gone through some tragic experience?

It was impossible to impose your worldview on someone else or assume a position of superiority just because you deemed your experience to be 'more severe' than others.

Clarity considered herself far from being a good person, nevertheless a saint, which was why she decided to keep quiet and focus on her own survival.

"MISS SECRETARY! COME! DOWN! NOWWWWWW!" Jungkook's dramatic holler jolted Clarity out of her thoughts as she shuddered.

Jungkook was gynophobic? _Where_?

It was either that the youngest was intentionally treating her like a man or he did not even see her as a woman.

Neither was leaving a good taste in her mouth.

"I'm coming!" She quickly yelled back before turning to the brown-haired girl under the blanket.

"Miss Yinn Naron. Please enjoy your time here and feel free to reach out if you need anything else." Her tone was formal with a hint of sternness as she headed towards the door.

As always, survival was top priority, even if it meant that she would become the greater person and act nicely to the female protagonist. Plus, there were no benefits in creating unnecessary hostility when she was also a part of the group that went on the trip to Jungkook's cabin.

Clarity was going to do anything to ensure that she avoided her second death flag.

* * *

Beethoven's _Pathétique_ played in the background of the Hyundai Palisade that was making its way to through a rough pathway through the mountains.

The bumpy terrain caused the large vehicle to jerk, throwing its passengers off balance every other minute. When that happened, Jungkook, who was lying down in the trunks area, would throw his hands up like he was riding a roller coaster.

The car hit another bump and for the seventh time on this trip, Clarity lost her balance, leaning right into the arms of Kim Taehyung.

"Sorry," she muttered with her squeaky voice.

Taehyung, on the other hand, seemed to have grown accustomed to her falls and merely nodded his head.

Driver Jung Hoseok drove cheerily with one hand on the steering wheel while Yoongi sat beside him, dozing off on the passenger seat.

In the second row was Namjoon, Seokjin, and Jimin in that respective order.

Namjoon had been reading a book on determinism, but felt car sick and decided to stop before he bestowed rainbow upon the car space. Seokjin and Jimin was engaging in an intense game of tic-tac-toe on their phones.

In the back seats were no other than Clarity and Taehyung who sat in silence as they both listened to the dramatic passages of Pathétique. The raven haired man had his eyes closed. He was either enjoying the music or completely blocking it from his ears as he slept—she couldn't tell between the two.

Clarity, on the other hand, had a thousand thoughts in her head.

Hoseok and Yoongi were at the front. Namjoon, Seokjin, and Jimin were in the second row. Her and Taehyung were in the backseats, while Jungkook was having fun in the trunk.

There was no Yinn Naron.

Clarity's head was full of question marks.

How was the plot supposed to proceed without its female protagonist?


	22. This is Going Nowhere

Clarity's apprehensions about her second death flag's absence turned out to be unneeded, because she soon found herself lost amidst the forest, under the brimming moon and galaxy of stars that hung high above her head.

"I'm going to swear at someone," the short-haired girl muttered under her breath as she trenched through the narrow pathways made by the bushes and trees.

The plot seemed to always pull itself together when she least expected it. Was it trying to spite her on purpose?

The Hyundai Palisade that had been rushing joyously on its path towards Jungkook's cabin had suddenly broken down amidst the trip, leaving them semi-stranded in the middle of the mountains.

Adapting to this unforeseen circumstance, Namjoon had then announced the decision to camp out for the night until Yoongi fixed the car. She was surprised to learn this new skill of Hacker Suga who seemed to be capable of all sorts of things.

She was given the mission to scout the area to make sure there weren't any traces of wild animals that would pose a threat. Needless to say, the scouting journey had resulted in her current predicament.

"I'm not even direction-blind, so how did I get lost?" Sighing to herself, Clarity spun her head to examine the unfamiliar area around her. 

Every tree looked the same and every pathway was like a duplicate of another. With nighttime's descent, the forest and grown visibly more chilly. The eerie ringing of the crickets echoed throughout the area, and subtle rustling could be heard around her as the branches clashed with each other.

This ominous atmosphere made the hairs on the back of her neck shoot right up.

"Taehyung? Seokjin? Jimin?" She cautiously called out the names of the members, even though she did not expect an answer in return.

Although she did not receive an answer from the members, she did catch a reply from someone else.

To be more specific—a group of 'someone elses.'

Clarity may have be a nineteen-year old university freshman trapped in the Secretary's body, she was still capable of detecting danger using the body's perceptive senses.

The senses were also telling her that the original plot was acting on its bullshit again.

"...This is ridiculous," the short-haired girl muttered to herself as she found herself surrounded by black-clothed silhouettes that hid all around the towering trees. Some concealed themselves between the branches, while others' presence were veiled behind the bushes.

_What were they? Ninjas? Assassins?_

Clarity couldn't help but frown as she made sense of her situation.

She didn't even have to recall her memories of the original plot to know that these hidden silhouettes were from Senyu.

They had followed Seokjin's group all the way here after hearing about the CEO of Bangtan Co's announcement of a week-long break. After all, Senyu had been utterly ridiculed by Bangtan during the unannounced negotiation, where The Variable represented CEO Kim Seokjin and robbed them of a whole fifty million in exchange for a video clip.

Senyu was eager to get their revenge, and Clarity happened to be caught in the middle of it.

"The plot armour is absolute bullshit." She could see the confused looks in the assassins' eyes as she muttered to herself, but she couldn't care less about their reactions.

When you're the protagonist, the plot armour was your best friend. Even amidst a serious life-and-death situation as such, some ex deus machina being would come and sweep you into safety.

On the other hand, if you were the villain, the plot armour was poison. Clarity's mind was racing as she tried to figure out a way out of this situation.

At this point, she would get kidnapped and held hostage by Senyu. They had seen her face during both the auction and the negotiation, which meant they knew she had a role in Bangtan's schemes.

Would the members come to save her? Clarity couldn't say for sure.

However, Clarity knew she couldn't depend on them. Her sharp vision took in the enemy's information as she discreetly scanned her surroundings.

There were around ten people taking part in the ambush. Skill wise, they seemed to be a bit weaker than the Secretary, but they were more in numbers. If she really fought, she could probably get rid of half of them. Maybe more if she was lucky.

Should she fight?

As Clarity debated her options, the assassins were edging closer.

The people in black paused with surprise as they saw the short-haired girl slowly raise both of her hands over her head, signalling surrender. They blinked twice, exchanging flabbergasted glances with each other at the unexpected reaction.

The assassins were told that the Secretary of Bangtan Corporation was someone important to the Bangtan members. The head of Senyu had told them that although it was difficult, they had to get their hands on her no matter what. Only then would they gain the upper hand in the fight against CEO Kim Seokjin and the Bangtan Corporation.

With those words in mind, the assassins stared dumbfounded at the girl who had surrendered without a fight, an indecipherable smile on her face. Everyone in Seokjin's group were skilled individuals that they feared to mess with, so there was no way the Secretary would obediently let herself be caught.

There had to be some sort of trap in her actions. The assassins were sure of it.

Clarity, unaware of their unnecessary weariness, continued to stand with her hands behind her head. For a minute, they just stared at each other, like two groups of headless flies. This situation where no one was making a move was making Clarity feel iffy.

After evaluating her position, Clarity had decided to let herself be caught and figure out the rest along the way. She had no confidence that she would win against these ten assassins, so the wiser option was to surrender herself so she would at least live through tonight.

Win the battle, but lose the war.

What nonsense.

Forget about the war, she wasn't even sure if she could win even the battle. In fact, Clarity couldn't care less about winning in general. She just wanted to survive.

However, the assassins blank reactions had thrown her in a daze. Why weren't they moving? Her second death flag was progressing in a stranger way than her original expectations.

This world seemed to never go along with her intentions.

"Aren't you here to kidnap me?" She didn't even bother to hide her frustration as she spoke into thin air. "I'm literally just standing here. I hope you know the kidnapping wasn't going to happen by itself."

When she heard no response, Clarity began to feel even more annoyed. She was quite fed up with the progression of this nonsensical scenario. Just as she had started to accept her new life in this world, the illogical plot proceedings came back to bite her.

Was it so against the rules for her to just live?

With these accumulated frustrations inside her, Clarity decided to go along with the plot for once, just so she could see what awaited her.

"Hey. Are you glitching or something?"

The assassins, on the other hand, felt more certainty than ever at her lashing out that this was a trap.

As the one-sided conversation continued between the two sides, neither was aware that the assassin group was slowly decreasing in number.

One by one. They were such subtle changes that they had first gone unnoticed. However, when the seventh assassin had fell out of communication, they realized something was wrong.

"She was faking! She had reinforcement!" One for the assassins lunged towards her.

His attempted to attack was received easily by the short-haired girl as she used his momentum to her own advantage, yanking him onto the ground. Swiftly, she dropped a clean hit to the back of his neck as the assassin fainted on the spot.

"...Reinforcement?" Confusion was visible on her face as she looked around, only to notice the limp bodies of the assassins that had concealed themselves within the forest, now unmoving on the ground.

"Clarity." A deep voice suddenly arose beside her, causing the short-haired girl to jolt upwards.

She spun her head to see Taehyung behind him, his gaze was colder than usual amidst the chilly air in the forest.

"Yah, are you okay?" Another silhouette emerged beside him. It was Jimin, who had a smirk on his face as he twirled around one of the assassin's face covering on his index finger.

"You did well holding on until we came here." The next to appear was Namjoon.

One by one, the members of Bangtan Corporation revealed themselves in the shadows. They were searching for the lost Clarity and came rushing here after hearing her statements towards the assassins that had echoed through the woods.

"I'm surprised they didn't attack you." Seokjin raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Miss Clarity, you're really something else."

"...You were searching for me?" Clarity asked dumbly, still dazed by the entire group's appearance.

A frown emerged on Yoongi's face as he heard her question. "Of course we did. You think we would let one of our members die?"

Clarity's eyes widened at the words that emerged so naturally from his mouth.

"I think she was startled by the assassins," Jungkook whispered to Hoseok beside him, as if Clarity couldn't hear him from less than three feet away.

The latter shook his head at the youngest's cute comment before turning towards the short haired girl with his usual grin.

"Don't worry, Miss Clarity! We got rid of them all while you were talking to them to stall time."

The night was chilly, but the member's presence seemed to warm up even the coldest breeze. Was it disbelief? Relief? Clarity failed to define the complicated emotions piling in her chest as she made eye contact with each of the seven men.

In the end, she decided to say the one certainty that was in her heart.

"Thank you for coming for me."

At that moment, Clarity made up her mind.

"I have something to tell you all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when the plot does not go as expected but what's new LOL
> 
> let me know how you’re liking the story so far in the comments below!


	23. Reality

The campfire was brimming with heat as everyone sat around it.

"Should we be leaving them alone?" Clarity glanced apprehensively towards the direction of the forest. The members had knocked all the assassins unconscious, tied them up, and abandoned them by the tree stems.

"Hoseok drugged them with sedatives, so they should be out until at least the day after tomorrow." Yoongi shrugged. "Senyu is quite bold in sending people after us. Too bad they were lacking brains."

"It'll be quite a scene when Senyu discovers what happens to their people." Jimin's voice blended in with the night, his eyes glistening with an amused glint.

Staring blankly at the members' nonchalant statements, Clarity reaffirmed her thoughts that they were scary people, after all.

The sparks that ignited from campfire ashes reflected onto her conflicted eyes, which was casted down with melancholy. She debated how she was going to start her story, only to look up and see all the members' eyes on her.

"What did you want to tell us?" Seokjin spoke up first as his usual tone, full of nonchalance, broke the silence.

At their anticipatory looks, Clarity decided she had to start talking.

"I came from another world." Her clear voice echoed, the ashes from the fire carried its determination throughout the air, and into each members' ears.

She waited for a reaction, but what she got in return was undivided attention. It was different from the time in Seokjin's office, where the man had retorted her outlandish claim on the spot. The members' expressions were stoic, but attentive.

They wanted to hear to her story.

It was no use debating about the "correct" way to start or the most "effective" way to persuade them. She just had to start talking.

And so she did.

That night by the campfire, Clarity Moon, aged nineteen and an university student from South Korea, started her story.

* * *

When Taehyung first heard of the new secretary, he was discontent. For the past years, he was the one that had been by Seokjin's side, and he thought there was no reason to hire someone else when he was capable of doing all the work.

Taehyung had looked into her background after learning that she was going to be Seokjin's new secretary. It was only normal, considering he had to make sure the person beside Seokjin was not going to be a threat.

The information he collected were quite average. The Secretary had studied combat and marital arts from a young age; she possessed the calm composure of a fighter and retained the quick-minded reactions fitting for a secretary. As someone accustomed to violence and death, he thought she also saw the world in its original coldness.

His impressions of her from paper proved to be inaccurate, if not completely off.

When Clarity first stepped into the Bangtan mansion as the Secretary, Taehyung thought they were similar. Although she was talkative and grew easily flustered, he could tell there were thoughts in her mind that she would intentionally keep to herself, and those thoughts would in turn accumulate into a wall.

When she captured the intruder in the mansion, she had moved in an agile way that was fitting for someone with experience in combat. Yet the look on her face was odd, as if the actions she was performing with her own body was foreign.

The night when he was chasing after Senyu's people, he had came across the short-haired girl in the alleyway. Her expression was as frantic as a deer under the headlights, and he couldn't help but be shocked by her naive demeanour that was unfitting for the description of the Secretary.

" _My heart is beating like crazy_." He recalled her words from that night, each spoken with such clarity that it drummed against his hearing like trickling bells.

What had shocked him even more at the time was his own heartbeat, which was so profound in his ears it inundated his own thoughts.

The more he interacted with her, the stronger his desire grew. For the first time, Taehyung found the towering wall he had built around himself to be a burden. He wanted to surmount his wall, make way to her own, and overcome that as well.

However, he didn't know how.

Clarity was a part of the Bangtan family, yet it appeared as if she had knowingly positioned herself in the role of an outsider. She would watch their interactions with a smile, yet intentionally keep her distance. She knew that her experiences in life were so drastically different from theirs, it would be futile for her to expect to be understood. Not only Taehyung, but all the members felt an insurmountable distance between them.

Now they knew why.

Right now, that wall was slowly breaking apart as the shocking words came pouring out of the short-haired girl in front of them.

* * *

After Clarity recounted her experience to the members, the air around them was silent.

Observing the complicated gazes of the seven men around her, she couldn't blame them. After all, who would easily come to accept their whole existence as a mere character in a book? She had not expected them to even hear her out, which was why she was already grateful.

The burden that was weighing her down was laid out on bare on the table just like that.

Clarity was always the type to form emotional attachments with the characters in her readings, which was why she turned towards fanfiction, where the characters would exist in real life. That way, even if the book ended, she could always project her love for its characters into their real life counterparts.

This was why, despite her attempt trying to face this situation with an open mindset, her heart was pounding in her chest as she awaited the members' reactions.

Seokjin was the first to speak.

"...Was I good-looking in the book?"

"Huh?"

"I had to be good-looking, right? I'm Kim Seokjin."

"I-I suppose. Yes... Yes, you were."

Clarity couldn't hide her bafflement at his reaction.

"Was that why you were always focused on Seokjin and Yinn Naron?" Namjoon was quick to catch on. "Because they had gotten together in the original story?"

The short-haired girl nodded, clenching the side of her blouse.

"Was that what you thought I was sleeping on the cold living room floor that night?" Yoongi followed up with his own question. "Because you thought I was maintaining my lazy persona as the character in the book?"

She nodded again, feeling more guilty than ever.

"...I always thought you were something else, and now I know what that is." Yoongi let out a long sigh before continuing on. "You're an idiot."

"She really is." Jimin leaned back with a helpless smile.

"I'm, h-huh?" Clarity leaned back with an incredulous expression.

She thought she was hallucinating the members' reactions, which had been a complete 180 from her original expectations.

"Miss Clarity..." Jungkook seemed to be deep in thought as he looked at her with serious eyes. "If we were characters in a novel, what makes you? Are you now a real person or a character just like us?"

_What was this sudden philosophical turn in the conversation?_

"Rather than that, how can you be sure that the book you were reading was actually the reality, and that you had not simply grown up in a book yourself, and finally was teleported back into the real world, which is here?" As if her brain wasn't a bundled mess already, Hoseok had just delivered the final blow.

"I have no idea." Tossing her hands in the air, Clarity confessed. "I'm just retelling my experience to all of you, because I thought it was only fair. I didn't want to keep all of you in the dark anymore."

Seeing the members' contemplative expressions, she continued on. "In addition, this world had started off in a similar manner as the book I read, but at this point, it was diverged so much from the original plot it might as well have all been a coincidence."

Her words seemed to put them at ease, because the atmosphere considerably lightened after she spilled out her thoughts.

"What are you thinking now?" Taehyung's deep voice finally spoke up as he turned to look at Clarity. "Do you still see this world as a fanfiction, and us as characters?"

Under the flicking fire's warm radiance, the raven-haired man's eyes glimmered with such sincerity that Clarity had a thought.

The incensed smell of darkened ash, the tickling sensation of the nightly breeze, the members' faces that were full of vitality, and their gazes that held the weight of a thousand words as they awaited her answer.

If these were all fictional, then nothing could ever be called reality.

At that moment, she felt as if a barrier had been lifted.

"No." She smiled. "This is my reality now."

Upon hearing these words, the members who had been attentively awaiting her answer all leaned back, almost sighing in relief.

Light glossed over Taehyung's eyes that were now slightly curved with his smile. His expression was one that would remain in Clarity's eyes for a long time.

"I'm glad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reality is not always physical. It is where you the people and experiences that make your life the most unforgettable.


	24. Side by Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I just realized that the chapter yesterday (the one with the assassins) was supposed to come BEFORE the chapter called Reality. I’ve switched them now, so feel free to read the two chapters again in the correct order for a better plot experience! 
> 
> Sorry for the confusion, and thank you for reading :)

The simple but homey cabin was surrounded by a lush forest. It stood amidst an area of towering trees with leaves, a mixture of brown, red, and green, scattering onto the ground, descending like sparkling fairies under the sunlight.

Originally a spirited adventurer, Jungkook had spent over a year building this wooden cabin. He wanted to have an alternative place he could call home, aside from the bustling city streets. He wanted to build a secret base where only happiness and freedom would await him and the ones he cared about.

Right now, that scene was unveiling itself before of his eyes.

The seven men from Bangtan Co. divided the job of settling down in the cabin. Namjoon, Jimin and Hoseok carried boxes full of materials from their mansion that would be good for the wooden cabin, which had a spacious interior despite its outside appearance. The auburn-coloured ground complemented the autumn leaves that were outside the doors.

Yoongi was setting up the WIFI network by the living room, and Seokjin was laying out all the ingredients for a "luxurious barbecue dinner," as he had announced earlier in the car ride.

Staring at the peaceful scene before her, Clarity unknowingly smiled. In this world, the members of Bangtan were individuals who'd gone through experiences unthinkable for the average person. They were forced to grow up, persevere, and sacrifice—all for the sake of survival. And so, they fought. They fought against the unfair life given to them by the story setup and then found each other.

They became each other's healing.

Despite the mafia fanfiction's illogical progressions and cliched scenarios, Clarity had read through the story thinking that the bond between the members were portrayed quite beautifully.

In a cruel world as such, their eyes never lost their ability to see colours.

"Miss Clarity! Taehyung! What are you two doing?" Jungkook ventured towards Clarity, whose eyes were dazed like they've been in a dream, and Taehyung, who just stood next to her.

He pushed the two towards the direction of the forest with an impatient scoff. "If you have nothing to do, just go collect logs or something. We'll need them to start a campfire and roast marshmallows."

At his relentless urging, Taehyung let out a sigh as his eyes made their way to Clarity's. Exchanging a look, the raven-haired man headed into the trees while the other quickly trailed after him to catch up. Jungkook watched the backs of the two most thought-filled people in the group fade in with the trees.

Despite his intimidating appearance, Taehyung was timid. Jungkook, as his friend for over a decade, knew that. He knew that the raven-haired man was the type to bottle up all his thoughts and emotions until they rotted the deepest parts of his stomach, just to avoid hurting those around him. Although unspoken, the members were worried about him. Taehyung always stood in the shadows as the shield of Bangtan Co.

He stood behind Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Namjoon, Jimin and Jungkook like a towering giant who eliminated all potential harm. At the same time, however, he was ascending higher and higher into a tower that would eventually become unreachable by others.

This was why seeing him now walking side by side with another person gave him a sense of reassurance. He thought his older friend was going to be okay.

* * *

A leaf spiralled downwards from the trees that seemed to stretch into the sky. It swiftly evaded all the branches and stems of other trees, ultimately landing peacefully on the short-haired girl's head.

Taehyung stared at the piece of red before reaching towards it. His hand brushed the leaf off her head, ruffling her hair in the process. Clarity glanced up at him with widened eyes, then smiled.

With a cough, Taehyung looked away.

"What kind of logs are we looking for?" she asked, bending down to examine her surroundings.

"Probably wooden ones," the raven haired man replied calmly, before turning to see Clarity's gaze that seemed to be asking him if he was serious. At her incredulous expression, Taehyung shrugged with amusement while the short-haired girl shook her head.

Contrary to the tranquil forest, Clarity's mind was filled with spiralling thoughts.

Since when did it happen?

As she leisurely strolled around looking for wood, she recalled her current situation. Yinn was supposed to be on the trip with them. Then, she was supposed to be kidnapped by assassins. And after that, the Secretary was supposed to get captured in her stead, but no one would rescue her because of her attempt at leaving the female lead to die.

However, she was now calmly collecting logs with the person who was supposed to be her death flag in the original plot.

Since when did everything start to change?

She recalled Jungkook's exclamation right before they entered the forest.

" _Miss Clarity_!"

Since when did she step out of her identity as the Secretary, and became Clarity Moon?

She thought of the harmonious scene in front of the cabin. Before she knew it, she had grown accustomed to seeing the smiles and interactions between the members. Their expressions were full of such life and vigour it would be impossible to capture it in a photo, let alone create in a book.

"I think this is good enough," Taehyung said with his deep voice as he poured the pile of logs on his arm into the straw basket. Without speaking, he then took the ones out of Clarity's hands and threw them in as well.

A gust of wind made its way through the forest. It swept up a few leaves on the ground, lifting them into the air. Dazed, Clarity stared at the man before her as the wind carried his wavy hair away from his forehead, revealing his eyes that glowed under the setting sun.

Gently clenching her chest that held her accelerated heartbeats, Clarity wondered how someone could be this good looking.

Part of her was still scared of Taehyung's role in the story, but she knew deep down that her fear was caused by her prejudiced perspective towards the world.

For a long time, she saw this world as one from printed words on paper. It was without depth, predetermined.

When she set aside her biased views, however, his presence was nowhere close to fearful. She and Taehyung walked side by side, their shoulders occasionally touching one another's. Clarity was a whole head shorter than the raven haired man, so she felt a sense of comfort walking beside him. It was like having a stability anchor while sailing across a raging ocean.

She couldn't feel like this if he was a character. Not at all.

"You always seemed to be wary of something." Taehyung's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

In a loose white turtleneck and a brown trench coat, he was giving off a mystified aura that resembled someone you would see in fairytales. This man had stopped walking as she was now a few steps ahead of him. They were just a few turns away from arriving back at the cabin area.

Clarity thought she must have had a weird look on her face, because the raven haired man was staring at her with an expression mixed of both enchantment and concern.

Like her, Taehyung was also the type to keep things to himself. However at this moment, he was speaking straight at her in a sincere tone comparable to the purest streams of water.

"You can worry about things like the future, but that shouldn't stop you from walking its pathway." His gaze moved from his own feet to where Clarity was standing. "You can just keep walking, and I'll be right behind you."

Another breeze swept through them, carrying his words that lingered with a soft sense of melancholy. A frown subconsciously made its way onto Clarity's face as she lowered her head with a sigh. Without responding to Taehyung's declaration, she turned towards him.

One step.

Two steps.

The raven-haired man's lips parted slightly as he watched the short-haired girl stride towards him one step after another, closing their distance little by little. Eventually, she stopped right in front of him, as one more step would have her bump her head right onto his chest.

"Rather than watching from behind-" Clarity stepped sideways so that they were side by side once again, "-I think it's more comfortable like this."

Of course, it was also because she still felt awkward about having the original story's walking death flag trail her like an assassin.

Seeing Taehyung's eyes widen like a puppy, Clarity couldn't help but let out a light chuckle. She nudged him playfully by the arms, pulling him out of his trance.

"Well?"

At that moment, the golden sunset that reflected off her eyes was etched into the memories of the man standing before her.

"Yes." Taehyung smiled. "I think so too."

_Ah. So this was it._

Finally, Clarity understood something at the sight of the raven-haired man's box smile. It was about time she accepted it:

From the moment of her arrival into this world, her role had long shifted from the reader to the direct participant of its stories.

"Yah! What took you two so long?" Seokjin's voice echoed from a distance, and Clarity turned around to see the members waving at them.

A long, wooden table was set in front of the homey cabin. Vegetables, meat skewers, beer—it was filled with all types of food that the members enjoyed.

Jungkook had already started eating while Jimin was discreetly smudging a finger-full of cream onto his nose. Seokjin was flipping over meat patties on the barbecue machine like a professional chef, with Hoseok snapping pictures of his glorious work. Namjoon was frantically trying to fix the arm of the wooden chair that he had twisted off; his actions were ignored by Yoongi, who sat by the campfire set up, tuning his guitar.

The dimming orange rays of the sun encircled the cabin from behind, and their home was enveloped by its warm light. The image before her eyes was like a precious painting, the type that someone would cry looking at.

Was it okay for her to be part of this scene?

"Hurry up and try our hamburger, Miss Clarity! Jimin was bragging about how he was better at cooking than you are!" Hoseok laughed.

"I was not!" Jimin retorted in response.

At their calls, Clarity glanced at Taehyung behind her. As always, he had stoic expression on his face, but the calmness of his eyes was no longer frightening.

In fact, it was stirring up her heart quite a bit.

"Coming!"

Clarity's warm smile was comparable the sun that shone above the limitless horizon.


	25. One Shock After Another

Things got busy the moment they returned from the cabin trip.

If the atmosphere during the trip was like taking a stroll, then the air in this meeting room was comparable to skydiving without a parachute.

The tension in the dimly lit conference room was palpable. Seats on both sides of the long table were occupied by the affiliated members of Mafia Bangtan Co, with Kim Seokjin sitting on the end chair like a king on his throne.

Standing beside him like a trusty bodyguard, Clarity nervously fixed her collar, clasping her hands behind her slim-fitting suit as she stood with feigned professionalism. To Seokjin's right was Taehyung, whose expression was stoic as he handed the eldest a document. The former quickly skimmed through its contents before tossing it onto the table.

"This is ridiculous!" One of the attendees of this meeting huffed with anger. "To chase CEO Kim during his break. Senyu's basically making an official declaration that they are going to go against us."

Seokjin remained silent at the man's outburst, tapping his finger thoughtfully.

After Senyu's assassination attempt ended up as a failure, they were immediately seen as enemy by Bangtan Corporation on both the business and mafia stage. Just now, an informant had brought in the news that Senyu's business faction was involved in illegal drug purchase. Now that they've left behind traces of illegal activity, this was an optimal chance for Kim Seokjin to make his move.

The dreary silence was broken by Seokjin's dry chuckle as he slightly leaned forward from his chair. All of the attendees stiffened attentively, anticipating his next words.

"There will be a banquet." The CEO’s calm yet chilling voice echoed through the room. "There will also be a transaction occurring at the banquet. It will be between Senyu and a foreign business group, Orin. When that happens, we will deliver the final blow."

Everyone knew of the incident where Bangtan had scammed Senyu Corporation’s money by selling a footage for an astronomical price. The evidence was deadly for the latter, but it wasn't enough for Bangtan to completely destroy them in one blow. This was because although many of Senyu's people were identified in the footage, their CEO was not. With Senyu's CEO as the core of their corporation, Seokjin would not be able to get rid of them without destroying their central figure.

"A banquet?" Someone muttered to themselves, "I haven't heard news of any banquets lately..."

"Bangtan Corporation will be the host of this banquet." Namjoon was the one who answered their concerns. He was sitting on the left closest chair to Seokjin, a thoughtful smile on his face. "We are going to invite both Senyu and the foreign company."

His statement threw the room into confusion as mutters arose from the shareholders.

It would be Bangtan Corporation's first time hosting a banquet with its business identity while inviting presences from the mafia world. In fact, invitations have already been sent out to the prominent figures of both industries. Not only that, they were also inviting both Senyu and Orin, the two companies who have just been exposed for illegal interactions.

Uneasiness was in people's expressions after hearing Seokjin's decision. Being caught in a drug scandal was detrimental to a business's future even if they were only indirectly involved. They couldn't understand why CEO Kim would draw trouble onto himself.

However, Seokjin was thinking many steps ahead of them.

Clarity couldn't help but shudder at the man who was tapping his fingers in an unusually light manner. Seokjin had suppressed his emotions behind his cold eyes, but she could tell after knowing him for so long.

He was excited.

"What if Senyu's CEO refuses the invitation?" Someone asked.

"He won’t." Seokjin spoke like a prophet, his words weighing down the room with absolute authority.

If it were a normal banquet, there was no way knowing that Senyu's CEO would for sure attend. However, this was hosted by none other than Bangtan Corporation, their top rival company. The boss of Senyu was going to attend this banquet, and knowing that their transaction partner was also invited, he was going to plan a drug transaction here. Seokjin was sure of it.

Like themselves, Senyu was also looking for opportunities to get rid of their competitors. By trading on Bangtan's grounds, even if something went wrong, the host company would also inevitably be thrown under investigation. It was like killing two birds with one stone.

Seokjin knew that was how Senyu's mind worked, which was he felt more certainty than ever that this would also be an optimal opportunity to get rid of them once and for all.

The leader of Senyu, like himself, worked on a business mindset. The CEO was a greedy old man who did things based on incentives and consequences. Seokjin was planning to go along with his plan, have the transaction to happen, then screw them over at their own game.

Kill two birds with one stone? That was not enough.

They would throw their leader into jail, eliminate Orin as a foreign business competitor, destroy Senyu Corporation as a whole, raise Bangtan's reputation as a moral company while enhancing their notoriety in the underground mafia factions—all in this one banquet.

Kim Seokjin, the central figure of this meeting, was currently smiling like a villain.

It would be five birds with one stone.

Namjoon shook his head at the eldest's evil plotting as he finished his explanation to the people in the room, whose faces were covered in both fear and relief. Fear because of CEO Kim's merciless plans; relief because they were not the target of his obliterations.

Witnessing all this with a complicated gaze, she watched with as Seokjin leaned back on his chair with a smile both charismatic and cunning.

"Code V—that is the name of this operation."

Clarity couldn't help but stare in awe.

* * *

Contrary to the attendees' dreary expressions as they were released from the meeting, the members of Bangtan were in enlightened moods. Seokjin, in particular, was humming lightly as he gazed out the car window.

With all the planned schedules finished for the day, they were on their way back to Bangtan's mansion. Taehyung was driving with Clarity in the passenger seat, while Namjoon and Seokjin sat in the back.

_A_ _banquet...Why does that sound familiar?_

The short haired girl couldn't help but frown at the progression of things.

The latest chapter of To Be His Possession had ended with Seokjin and Y/N attending a banquet. However, it was not hosted by Bangtan, nor did it have anything to do with drug transactions. Furthermore, the information mentioned in the meeting were also never brought up in the original story.

Was it a coincidence?

She was contemplating on whether or not to tell the members about this information. This world had long strayed from the original direction, so it may not come into use at all. She didn't want to say things that she herself was uncertain would happen, since it'll only further complicate the situation.

"Clarity, I've been thinking about what you've said." Namjoon's voice pulled her out of her trance. "How exactly did you end up in our world? There should be some sort of instigating force, like a strong emotional impact, or something that allowed this phenomenon to happen."

"An emotional impact?" Clarity recalled the night before she travelled into this world. The day of her transmigration, she had only followed her daily routine.

Eating carbs, grinding school projects, binging BTS fanfictions until three in the morning...

Not much emotional impact here, if she were to say so herself.

However, Namjoon's deductions raised a good point. After all, only her soul had been transferred into this world, taking over the body of the original secretary. If it wasn't an outside force or portal, the cause must have been something internal.

At that moment, she recalled that there was, indeed, a moment of brief return to her original world. It was when she had taken a bullet at the auction. While she was unconscious, she had a weird dream where Yeontan was speaking to her.

Clarity shuddered at the strange experience and decided to stop thinking about it for now.

"On the topic, there's a question I've been wanting to ask," Seokjin said, crossing his arms. In fact, it was a question shared by all members for a quite awhile. "You said that you were from another world and that you had a role in being here. Are you trying to return from your original world once your role is over?"

The car suddenly fell silent at Seokjin question. Namjoon was spinning his glasses with a calm expression while Taehyung, his grip tightening on the steering wheel, stared into her eyes from the rear window. Seokjin's abrupt question caused Clarity's mind to blank out for a moment, before she was hit with a realization.

Although the members had reacted with nonchalance towards her secret on the campfire night, it appeared that they were just hiding their apprehension so she wouldn't feel burdened. Whatever her internal thoughts were, the members decided to respect her decisions.

"I'm not going back." Clarity smiled. "As I said before—this is my reality now."

Satisfied with her own answer, she turned to see Namjoon looking at her with a gentle look. Taehyung refocused his eyes on the road, slightly loosening the hand on the steering wheel.

"Good choice," Seokjin commented with a smirk. "Returning would be your loss, after all."

Clarity couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

"...What’s going on?"

The moment they arrived at Bangtan's mansion, the group was hit with bafflement as they saw black smoke rising out of an open window.

"An ambush?!" Panic was in Clarity's eyes as they quickly rushed into the room, only to be faced with an even more incredulous sight.

"Kids... What is this?" Namjoon didn't even try to hide his frown as he sighed at the disastrous state of the kitchen.

"You're back!" Jungkook spun around with a refreshing smile, sparkling amidst a sea of chaos. A black, ash-looking substance was drooling over the counter area, while the sink was piled with mountains of dirty cookware.

Taehyung, who just entered from garage, visibly grimaced at the unknown smell wafting around the house.

"Taehyung!" The black-haired man jolted as Jimin's smiling eyes locked onto him like a predator seeing its prey. "You must have had a long day. Here, have some some biscuits."

Taehyung eyed the shrivelling black things stacked on the plate.

Those ain't no biscuits.

It was then Clarity noticed someone else who was also behind the kitchen counter. Her eyes widened at the unexpected sight of a certain brown haired girl.

"Yinn?" She was not expecting the original female protagonist, who had never gone out her room, to be a part of this cooking shenanigan.

Still looking a bit timid, Yinn gave her a small smile. Regardless, Clarity was happy to see her getting along with the boys.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"...Yes."

"That's good." Clarity then sighed, her gaze falling on the two culprits before her as she turned to Yinn once more. "Please watch over those two, so that they don't burn the house."

At her statement, Jimin and Jungkook rolled their eyes. The two then glanced at Yinn, who awkwardly looked back with a smile.

"Miss Clarity.” Jimin puffed his cheeks dramatically. "You shouldn't be treating me like a kid. After all, I'm global star Park Jimin and-"

Before he could finish, Jungkook had shut him up with a burnt cookie. The youngest then turned toward Clarity, feigning ignorance with an innocent smile.

"Hey." Ignoring the chaos in the room, Seokjin shuffled beside Clarity, his gaze consciously glued onto the girl behind the counter. Slightly bending over, he spoke to Clarity in a low whisper. "Did I really fall for that weak-looking girl in the book you were reading?"

"You sure did," Clarity replied emotionlessly.

"I must have lost it." Seokjin was frowning at her curt but unhesitant response. "How's that possible? Me? Kim Seokjin? But she’s not even close to my type."

Clarity sighed again at the usual Bangtan nonsense happening before her eyes. Pulling together her secretary act, she turned towards Tara, another one of Bangtan's housekeeper, and signalled her over. "I'm going to get some cleaning sprays from the storage room. In the meanwhile, please help them clean up this mess."

"I'll come with you," Taehyung said and the short-haired girl nodded.

Located at the basement floor of Seokjin's mansion, the storage room was at the end of a narrow hallway. Even in her black blazer, Clarity subconsciously shivered as she stepped into the chilly space. Skimming through the shelves of home appliances, it took her a moment to locate the pack of cleaning sprays that rested on the leftmost top shelf.

Clarity reached upwards to the shelf level that was three heads above her. She mentally swore at her depressing height as she stretched her fingers further while on her tippy toes. Suddenly, a presence emerged behind her as Taehyung, who had been waiting by the door, leaned over her to easily fetch the cleaning pack.

Frozen on the spot, Clarity flinched when his hand brushed against her ears as it reached for the cans. Taehyung passed it to her with a smile, not noticing the latter’s face that was turning a dark shade of pink.

It was at that moment.

A loud bang echoed the room, making Clarity jump on the spot. The two simultaneously turned towards the exit, only to witness the exact moment where the door, held up by a wooden wedge that had lost its grip, closed behind them.

"..."

At the turn of events, the two stared at each other blankly.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," Clarity replied.

Hearing her reassurance, Taehyung then walked up to the closed door, only to freeze after putting his hand on the handle. Clarity's stomach dropped at the pause in his actions.

"...Is it locked?"

Taehyung nodded. "The basement doors are ones that locked themselves. We were going to get it fixed, but..."

She had an odd feeling as the black haired man was explaining all of this. An ominous sensation was arising from within as she took in the current situation. Then, it finally hit her.

_It’s here—another iconic Wattpad scenario!_

What would become of a cliched fanfiction if it didn't include a scene where two people were locked together in a room? Now personally thrown into this exact situation, Clarity didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

This world seemed to never give her a break.

"It looks like we'll just have to wait until someone notices that we're gone," she said with a sigh.

Clarity had told the members that they were going downstairs, so they would realize eventually as the two been gone for a long time.

However, she thought of Jungkook and Jimin, who had always lost track of time once they started playing video games.

Seokjin, who was crashing into his weird-ass sleep schedule on the second floor.

Yoongi, who was already sleeping.

Namjoon, who was drafting some scary plans in his fool-proof, sound-proof room.

And lastly Hoseok, who was out partying at who-knows-where.

"...Hopefully?"

This was driving her crazy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> clarity: end me now :)


	26. May I Do That, Too?

As someone who spent her life reading more fanfictions than regular novels, one glance at her current situation was enough for Clarity to determine what was going on.

Right now, she was trapped in the storage room with Taehyung, an attractive, black-haired man who was staring at her in confusion, unaware of her inner thoughts.

"Ahem." Clearing her throat with a cough, Clarity turned towards him with an sheepish smile. "So... It looks like we'll be stuck here for awhile."

"...It seems that way."

At the raven-haired man's curt response, Clarity decided to speak up again before room fell into another awkward silence. "You know, this reminds me of a very cliched situation in a book that I read before coming to this world."

"This appeared in the fanfiction you were reading as well?" Taehyung's gaze was unusually heavy.

She realized what he was thinking, and the short-haired girl promptly waved her hands around in denial. "No, no. That's not what I meant. I was just saying that this was quite a popular trope for writers to use in pushing the relationship of two characters. It's in a lot of other books as well!"

Internally cringing at her failed attempt to break the ice, Clarity decided to shut up before she made matters worse.

Although the members had accepted her identity with relative ease, Clarity still avoided talking about this world as a novel when possible. She was trying to change her perspective on the current world, although it proved to be more difficult than she had imagined.

"Wanna hear something interesting?" Clarity suddenly turned towards Taehyung with a small grin. "You were someone famous in the world where I came from."

"A celebrity?" Taehyung's eyes widened as she nodded her head.

"A worldwide superstar. You and the other Bangtan members formed a seven-person boyband and brought happiness to fans all over the world with your music. You were artists for healing."

Not only for healing, but BTS had transformed Clarity's life entirely. They were her inspiration and light, the sliver of hope that she held onto with all her might amidst her suffocating days.

They were her saviour.

"Artists for healing," Taehyung repeated her words with a contemplative expression. "That's a relief."

He was glad that despite all his wrongdoings in this life, there was another him that existed in the other world who brought comfort to others.

Seeing Taehyung's softened expression, Clarity was feeling better herself. However, her mind soon grew heavy again at the thought of the events in the future.

In the original story, Y/N would find out a horrifying secret at the banquet that was related to her identity. Before that secret was revealed, however, a greater threat was thrown their way. In the latest chapter, it was announced that bombs were placed inside the banquet hall by an unknown organization. This part of the plot tugged onto Clarity's mind like an unrelenting thorn.

"What are you thinking?" She was pulled back into reality by Taehyung's question.

How was it that he seemed to always catch her at the exact moment when she was losing herself in heavy thoughts?

The man was gazing at her with a half-curious, half-concerned expression as she reassured him with a smile. Frankly, Clarity was scared. Beyond her uncertainty on the effectiveness of her knowledge about the original story, there was a more fundamental reason as to why she hesitated on telling the members about the plot.

She feared it would increase the distance between them.

However, Clarity had a thought after seeing the look in Taehyung's eyes.

If the plot would distance her from the members, all she had to do was take another step forward.

"Taehyung, there's something that I think might be helpful." Nodding at her internal decision, Clarity begun telling him about the latest chapter. She wasn't sure how much of that content would apply now, but it was better than not knowing a potential situation.

The black-haired man listened attentively as she spoke, his eyes not leaving her even for a moment. When she finished talking, Taehyung ruffled her hair with his large hand.

"This is helpful information. We should let Seokjin know after we get out." It was just a simple statement, but it made Clarity's heart settle with reassurance. Taehyung smiled. "Thank you for telling me."

"...It's nothing." Clarity was taken back by his words.

_No, thank you._

"Come to think of it, how did you stumble upon the story, anyway?"

"Ah, BTS fanfictions?" Clarity blinked. "A lot of ARMYs write them because they want to get together with BTS, even if it wasn't in real life. Some of the fanfictions are actually really cute and satisfying to read and..."

Her voice trailed off mid sentence. Instead of continuing, a flustered expression made its way onto Clarity's face after realizing that she had just admitted to reading to fulfill her unrealistic romantic fantasies.

"Is that so?" Taehyung nodded, not giving much thought to her response.

Misunderstanding his dismissive statement as judging, however, Clarity started to defend herself on reflex.

"It's true!" It was her first time raising her voice at the raven-haired man, and Taehyung's eyes widened at her unexpected retort. "My bias is Jin, right? So some of the scenes in Jin-centric fanfics are super heart racing to read."

"Heart racing?"

Something had flashed in his eyes after hearing her description. Clarity was unaware of this, however, as she continued with an enthusiastic nod. "Indeed! For example, in one of the fics, the female lead was pushed against the wall as Jin edged closer towards her—"

She wasn't given a chance to finish her sentence, because before Clarity understood what was going on, she felt a sudden force as her back was pressed against a hard surface.

Baffled by the sudden turn of events, her shaking gaze shifted from the extended arm on the wall, to the man who was the owner of that arm, whose face had inched right before hers.

His dark eyes, drowned in a stormy haze, was peeling her inside out as he spoke to her in a soft yet dangerously low whisper.

"Like this?"

Clarity froze as she finally noticed their current position. Her heart was pounding at the realization that Taehyung had backed her into a wall, exactly replicating her description of the fanfiction. Her mind drew a blank as they stood in such proximity to each other it was impossible to avoid his gaze. Taehyung was looking at her with an ignited flame in his eyes, and Clarity felt her stomach drop at his next words.

"And then?"

"...?"

"And then what happened?"

He was talking about the events in the Jin-centric fanfiction, the one that Clarity now wanted to slap herself for bringing up. 

This was bad. Really bad.

Taehyung's voice, sending a paralyzing wave as it echoed in her ears, was dangerously low. His eyes were gleaming towards her in a way that left no space for logical thinking. All Clarity could do was dumbly stare at the man before him, like an compliant kitten as she stuttered out the answer to his question.

"T-then he kissed her."

Clarity didn't know what she was expecting the moment these words were spoken into existence, but it certainly wasn't a reaction like his.

Eyes widening like a startled puppy, Taehyung suddenly was looking at her with a flustered expression, his intimidating demeanour dissipating like wispy smoke. And as if the situation wasn't already bizarre enough, witnessing his embarrassment somehow threw Clarity in a flustered state herself.

She had never seen anyone with such duality. Heck, she had never experienced anything like this before.

For a whole minute, the two flustered individuals just stood in front of each other in silence.

As if he was not the one that pinned her against the wall a minute ago, Taehyung subconsciously swallowed as his eyes focused onto her again, but this time in with a softer demeanour. His attempt to bottle up his temptations resulted in the man drawing in a soft breath as he spoke.

"May I?" His voice was nervous but sincere.

"...Huh?"

"The kissing. May I do that, too?"

Clarity's heart was beating so fast it wouldn't come as a shock for her to die by hyperventilation. Confusion, incredulity, desire—a thousand emotions were flying through her brain at that moment as her insides became a swirling mess. She couldn't help but notice the warmness of his breath, the nervous gaze in his eyes... the softness of his lips.

Clarity decided to let her instincts take over as she slowly moved her head up and down, mustering a shy smile.

It was at that moment.

As if her answer had flipped a switch inside his head, Taehyung immediately pressed his lips onto hers, shattering the wall between them. Her eyes fluttering close, Clarity unknowingly responded by leaned forward herself. Her subconscious action was like a instigated signal for Taehyung as he slid his hands around her waist, pulling her closer towards his body.

Clarity's clenched fists were aimlessly hanging by her side until he took them into his own, guiding them to the nape of his neck before his own travelled back to her waist. The short-haired was wearing a slim-fit grey turtle neck under her blazer, and the sensation of his long fingers trailing at the skin behind the fabric was making her a hazy mess.

"T-Taehyung..." Clarity managed to formulate his name in a dazed, slurring voice because that was all she could manage as his hot breath hovered over her neck.

Her soft whisper seemed to pull the man back into reality, squeezing a short moment of hesitation between his movements. His Adam's apple moving as he swallowed, Taehyung pulled away only the slightest bit, his voice raspy with temptation.

"... _Clarity_."

He just spoke like that, with his warm lips still pressed onto her skin. But realizing that he couldn't see her properly that way, Taehyung pulled back just a tiny bit more. Despite his skillful kissing that had left Clarity breathless, he now gazed at her with round eyes that were glowing with a tinge of innocence.

Cupping her burning cheeks with both of his hands, Taehyung then pressed his forehead softly onto hers.

"I...You..."

The unevenness in his breathing clouded both his rationality and his ability to formulate proper sentences, and seeing Taehyung's disoriented state was making Clarity lose her mind. Part of his silky black hair was now in a tangled mess. His refined black suit, previously without a crease, was now in an unkempt state as his tie dangled loosely from his neck.

Despite the storage room's original chilliness, Clarity's whole body was burning up. Desperately searching for rationality within the storm, she needed to calm herself down.

Without warning, she pressed her index finger onto Taehyung moist lips. "Stop talking."

His eyes widened at her action.

Clarity gulped as she looked towards him with flushed cheeks. "My heart. It's beating like crazy."

His lips parting slightly, the raven-haired man couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing these familiar words. Taking a step back, Taehyung's eyes were filled with light as he reached gingerly for one of her fingers, then the rest of her hand.

"Clarity—thank you for staying."

Her heart was overflowing with emotions as his warm hands enveloped hers, and Clarity suddenly had an urge to cry.

"...It seems that luck had finally found me this time."

For once, she felt grateful, so grateful to be carried into this world, to meet the man standing before her. Smiling like a fool, she was about to lean in for another kiss when the storage room door suddenly swung open.

The abrupt movement startled them both as Clarity and Taehyung broke apart from each other on reflex, simultaneously turning towards the figure by the doorway.

Yoongi, who had taken a stroll in the basement to find musical inspirations, was standing in the entrance with an unamused expression. The man with light hair let out a groan.

"...For fuck's sake. I should not be seeing this."

"I thought the door was locked?" Clarity's smile transformed into a look of puzzlement as she turned towards Taehyung, whose lips had pressed into a thin line as he averted her gaze.

"...I guess I didn't pull hard enough." His voice was calm, but the thoughtful glint in his eyes gave him away.

For a moment, Clarity just stood there, baffled at this side of Taehyung that she had never seen before, not even in the Kim Taehyung of her previous world. She let out a breathy laugh.

"Kim Taehyung, you're quite something."


	27. Too Adorable

_Tap._

_Tap. Tap. Tap_

_TAP. TAP. TAP. TAP. TAP-_

A surge of frustration washed over Clarity as she tossed her pen on the table, her back sinking into the armchair with a sigh. With furrowed brows, she unwillingly glanced at the towers of document piled on the wooden surface. Indeed, they were all materials she had to go through in preparation for Bangtan Corporation's plan to accomplish five feats in one move — also known as Operation Code V.

However, Clarity was also working on something else. Messy scribbles of black fountain pen markings visible on a lined piece of paper, she was piecing together the important parts of the banquet in To Be His Possession, which she was preparing to bring up to Seokjin and the other members during their upcoming meeting.

As she noted down all the important events, Clarity started to feel like something was off. According to original plot, they were supposed to be close to the latest chapter. By this point, Kim Seokjin and Yinn Naron had already confirmed their relationship, which was why they decided to attend the banquet together, as Seokjin was planning to officially introduce her as his partner.

However, this progression was long down the drain.

Right now, the closest word to describe the relationship between Seokjin and Yinn was _strangers_ , maybe _indirect_ _acquaintances_ at most. Aside from bumping into each other every now and then in the hallway, the two "protagonists"haven't had any direct interactions.

_Does that mean that Yinn Naron would have no role at the banquet at all?_

"What are you doing?" A pair of muscular arms softly wrapped themselves around her neck, wrists dangling with nonchalance. The black haired man, bending over from behind, lazily rested his chin on her shoulder.

Clarity tilted her head to meet Taehyung's tender gaze. "Just thinking about stuff," she mumbled softly.

Like a child, Taehyung had been hanging around her room while the short-haired girl did her secretary work. He rolled around the bed, played with her now shoulder-length hair, and snuck kisses on her cheeks every now and then to get her attention. Was she expecting this childish side of him? The man who was known to be cold and intimidating? Not on her life.

Was she enjoying it, however?

_Hell yeah._

A feeling of both admiration and affection rising within her, Clarity could only smile as she appreciated the work of art before her eyes. Every time she saw eye-candy Kim Taehyung, the girl couldn't help but feel as if she was dreaming. The captivating gaze that delivered itself through his lush eyelashes, his defined t-zone, his unintentional pouting—Kim Taehyung was the real deal.

Clarity thought her sufferings were all worth it.

Amidst her satisfying thoughts, she subconsciously bit down on her lips. It was a simple action, but that was all it took to initiate a change in Taehyung's expression.

At that moment, the air in the room shifted into something different. A storm was starting up within the raven haired man. His lips moved towards her as he spoke.

"Are you done with your work?"

"Huh?" She blinked twice.

"Your work. Are you done?"

"Well, I'm pretty close. But why—"

He cut her off by smashing his lips onto hers.

_Oh. This was why._

Eyes blinking with surprise, Clarity was momentarily dazed by the sudden action before relaxing her body to kiss him back. It was a deep, prolonging kiss, and she could feel the smile on Taehyung's face right now as well as her own. However, it was at that moment. Her heart missed a step, face heating up immediately as the man's tongue made contact with her lower lip, closing the distance between them as slid into her mouth.

_Where did he learn all of this from?_

Mind slowly slipping away, Clarity managed to squeeze out a few drops of rationality as her hand hurriedly moved to tap Taehyung back before both of them succumbed to their desires. It wasn't because she didn't want to continue. Not at all. In fact, as much as she had wanted to explore these things with him, something had forced her back into reality.

Taehyung's phone, having been buzzing in his pocket relentless for the past few minutes, screaming for attention.

"..."

Finally noticing the annoying noise, Taehyung reluctantly pulled away, slightly breathless as he took out his phone, putting it to his ear.

"What?" His voice was audibly irritated, and Clarity let out a soft chuckle at his reaction.

"What's with the attitude? Woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" Jimin's charming voice could be heard on the other side of the call. "Hobi, Namjoon and I have decided to make some desserts. Oh, Miss Naron is here too. We can't find the brown sugar. You know where everything's placed in the house. Is the sugar in the first or second storage closet?"

"..."

"Oh, wait. Never mind, we just found it. Who the hell puts sugar in the fridge? Anyways, since I'm a nice person, I'm inviting you to join in making this wonderful ca—"

"Not interested." Taehyung's response was curt and blunt as he was about to hang up. With Clarity successfully flipping the on-switch inside him, his rationality was long out the window as the only thing he could only focus was the girl before his eyes.

Noticing the raven-haired man's wild and unsettling gaze, Clarity unknowingly gulped.

The short phone call had cleared her mind a bit, and eyeing Taehyung before her, he had a feeling that if she had let hungry-looking man continue, she'd soon be facing a whole different consequence. Laughing nervously, she quickly grabbed the phone from his hands, speaking into the mic before it was too late.

"Taehyung changed his mind! We'll be there soon!" she spoke with unnatural joyfulness, ignoring the blank look on Taehyung’s face.

"Clarity? Why are you..." Jimin's voice sounded baffled as there was a small pause on the line. "So that's what it was."

It was was if she could see the silver haired man's emerging smirk as his voice smoothened over the phone.

"Anyway, see you soon!" Squeaking a farewell, Clarity quickly ended the call before facing Taehyung with her best heart-fluttering smile, only to widen her eyes at the apologetic look on his face.

The man was looking at her with an expression so sorrowful Clarity thought that his pet fish had died or something.

"I'm sorry." His voice was soft but cheerless. "I lost control over myself for a moment. I must have overwhelmed you."

Ever since they confirmed their relationship, Taehyung felt different. It was like the short-haired girl had enraptured him under a spell. 

All he could think of was Clarity.

He wanted to be with her all the time, to shower her with endless affection, and to protect her from all harm. With this mindset in mind, it pained him knowing that his rash behaviour had made her feel uncomfortable. Disappointed by himself, Taehyung only casted his gaze on the ground, the guilt slowly eat him alive.

Little did he know that "uncomfortable" was the last word Clarity would use to describe her current emotions.

Despite Taehyung’s sincere apology, she was internally melting at the black-haired man standing before her, shoulders all slumped and a dejected expression on his face.

 _He's_ _adorable_.

"Tae, baby. Don't be." She didn't know whether to cry or laugh at his overly-considerate thoughtfulness. She took his hand into hers, embracing the coldness of his palm and warming it up in the process. "I wasn't overwhelmed at all. Of course, I was a _bit_ taken back at first, but it was a good kind of taken back. You really have no reason to apologize. I've never been uncomfortable around you."

Well, that was a lie. Clarity was scared shitless even from a glance of the raven-haired man when she first arrived in this world—but he didn't need to know that.

Her heart relaxed in relief as she observed his slightly softened expression. Then to completely reassure him, Clarity leaned forward, planting a shy kiss on his lips.

"Also, you're _quite_ the kisser. Did you take lessons or something?"

Something flashed in his eyes as Taehyung stared at her, baffled at her nonchalant words. Eventually, he released the tension in his shoulders, smiling in resignation.

"You're really driving me insane, Clarity."

"Good!" Grinning cheekily at his comment, Clarity got on her tippy toes and lightly ruffled his hair. "Let's go downstairs. I'll drive you even crazier with my amazing cookie-making skills."

"I can help you," Taehyung offered, trailing after her while their hands were still linked together.

"Do you know how to bake?" Clarity arched an eyebrow in amusement.

"...I've watched Jin and Yoongi do it before. I can learn."

"Alright, alright."

"It's true."

She giggled as they walked through the halls. If there was a way to stop time, she'd wish to use it for this exact moment.

* * *

However, time went on, and Clarity now found herself amidst a strange situation.

If she wanted to, Clarity would have no trouble antagonizing the female protagonist. She could just push everything on the "plot" and openly express her animosity towards the girl, since she was the one, after all, that caused the original Secretary's death. She could make Seokjin kick her out of the house, or even permanently ruin her life.

However, Clarity didn't want to do any of that. It was for a simple reason:

Nobody deserved to be shunned by others for conditions out of their control.

Frankly, she was sympathetic towards the brown haired girl. Perhaps it was because of Yinn’s dreary past that was so similar to her own. Like Clarity, Yinn was also thrown into this situation against her will. Nobody would want to be born in an uncaring family, nor would they want to experience betrayal or develop traumas. However, these experiences were at times—inevitable.

The world had always did its own thing; neither Clarity, Yinn or anyone else could be held responsible for its set up.

Although Yinn had caused her death in the fanfiction world, she had not done anything to harm her here. This was why Clarity decided to treat her as just another human being, the same way as she would towards others.

However, that was about to change.

Stiffly postured in her chair, Clarity subconscious gulped at the single cookie on her plate. Her eyes then shifted toward the brown-haired girl, whose face was so pale she might as well have been bathing in negative degrees weather for the past hour. Clarity had nothing against Yinn, nor her cooking. However...

She eyed the pack of white powder beside the cookie.

" _I-it's icing sugar!"_ The brown-haired girl had explained to her, quite frantically.

Anyone could tell that was—indeed—not icing sugar.

Clarity stared at the poisonous meal before her eyes with a frown. Her head was filled with complicated thoughts. Although she was not very close to Yinn, she didn't think they were on bad terms with each other, either. Clarity did not understand, and she needed to find out.

What could she have done that made the female protagonist want to kill her?


	28. A Risk Worth Taking

Pinching the powder of white with her thumb and index finger, Clarity had a complicated gaze as she glanced towards the brown-haired girl, who—despite being the poisoner—had a worse complexion than her own. Clarity recalled the moments before she ended up in the current situation.

She had saw it when she and Taehyung were on their way downstairs.

In the corner of the kitchen, Yinn was talking to someone.

It was a discreet conversation which they had not intended for anyone to hear. However, Clarity had came down amidst the interaction. Due to the angle of the room, she could not make out the person that was with the female protagonist, but she had a faint idea of who it was.

With a weary glance, Clarity looked towards Taehyung and felt his grip tighten on her. The raven haired man was signalling her with a gesture of his head to return back upstairs.

Nodding, she did as she was told. Before making her way back to the second floor, she watched as the mysterious figure placed something in Yinn's hands and escaped out the window. When they were back in her room, Clarity slumped onto the bed with a shudder.

_"There's a mole in the Bangtan household_."

She had briefly heard Namjoon and Seokjin discussing this in a previous meeting. The eldest had suspicions about a spy from the enemy company that was feeding information to Senyu while pretending to be a staff in Bangtan Corporation. However, they did not expect the spy to slip directly into the members' dwelling.

"I'll let Jimin and the others know." Taehyung's stoic voice was coated with icy malice as he made a call to the silver-haired man. After a few seconds, the line connected as Jimin's cheerful voice sounded across the phone.

"Yah. We're at the gates right now. There were no eggs in the house, so we went to buy some at the grocery store. How did we manage to survive with no damn eggs—"

"We found the mole."

The line went silent for a moment at Taehyung curt statement. There were some shifting noises, then Namjoon's voice.

"Who?" The lightheartedness dissipated instantly as it was replaced by the Strategist's cold deductions. "The household has less than ten hired staffs. The most recent arrival was Yinn Naron, who is staying as a victim from the auction. It's not her, though. She lacked the connections and ambition to do so."

Clarity stared dumbfounded as Namjoon subconsciously mumbled out loud his thought-process.

"Although it couldn't be Yinn Naron, she is in the most suspicious position. Someone must used her to accomplish their own goals. To use Yinn Naron's hands to do their dirty biddings without actually revealing themselves. This means the spy had to be someone who was close to her, yet not close enough to be suspicious." There was another pause in the line, and Clarity thought she could hear Namjoon's brain performing all its analytical calculations.

Finally, he spoke his conclusion. "It's the maid. Tara Lee."

Clarity couldn't help but be impressed.

Indeed, she had also came to the conclusion that Tara was Senyu’s mole. However, her method of reaching this conclusion was not nearly as impressive as the man with 148 IQ.

It was simple—she had read it in _To_ _Be His Possession._

Out of all the staffs Bangtan had hired in their household, only three were given an identity: the Secretary, Chef Yuso, and housemaid Tara Lee.

Characters wouldn't be given a concrete identity unless there was a role for them to play. That was how books worked.

The Secretary was now Clarity, and Chef Yuso had been on leave ever since Jungkook and Jimin blew up the kitchen. This narrowed down the suspect to one person.

In the original story, Tara Lee had been Seokjin's personal housekeeper, who took care of cleaning and buying necessities. However, in this world, she was assigned to Yinn Naron after the members had brought her back from the auction.

"Should I get rid of them?" Taehyung spoke calmly, but his words unintentionally sent a shiver down Clarity's spine. It was understandable to capture the spy, but Taehyung was planning to do the same to the female protagonist as well. His rationale was straightforward:

Kim Taehyung would eliminate any potential threat to his family, regardless of who they were.

"No. This is a good opportunity," Namjoon said, "it is a smart move that you did not expose them, otherwise things would have gotten quite painful to deal with."

If Clarity and Taehyung had caught them on the spot, there was bound to be bloodshed. Tara Lee would either resort to threatening Yinn, or she would kill herself on the spot. If a mole was exposed, there was no way for them to live as they will be immediately abandoned by their employers.

In Tara Lee's case, Senyu would surely hire others to kill her even if she somehow escaped from her enemies. But if she died, Bangtan would be losing valuable information.

With that being said, they needed to play along. The members would go along with the enemy's plans to see what they were plotting, and then hit them from the behind.

This was why Clarity was currently sitting in the wooden chair by the living room, with the plate of poison in front of her.

Despite Taehyung's oppositions, she had volunteered herself to take on the participant role. It was unlike her to be doing something that intentionally put her life on the line, but Clarity did not make this decision rashly.

It was because the female protagonist was involved.

Although the people in this world were no longer the same as their fanfiction counterparts, Clarity's intuition was telling her something.

It was telling her that Yinn Naron was a good person.

In _To Be His Possession_ , Y/N was innocent and naive, her altruism was painful for Clarity to even read without creasing her forehead in frustration. She couldn't understand how someone could be such a Mary Sue, and she thought no one like that would exist in real life.

After meeting Yinn Naron in this world, Clarity could say this with confidence:

Of all the people and their fictional counterparts, Yinn Naron was the closest to her original character design.

Clarity didn't know how Tara managed to convince Yinn to poison her, but she was overestimating her abilities.

Yinn Naron was an open book.

She had seen how the female protagonist acted during their conversation in her room. Although her expression was bitter and showed signs of envy, Yinn never resorted to any underhanded methods. Heck, it took her almost a month to even come out of her room.

Perhaps it was because the female protagonist had lived a harsh life, but she was unwilling to pull others into the same situation. 

Although this trait was less magnified in this world, Yinn was—nonetheless—kind.

Clarity knew that the brown-haired girl would not take revenge on anyone. She was simply incapable of doing so.

Like her, Yinn Naron just wanted to survive.

This was why Clarity decided to take a risk. She did not want a tragedy to befall upon someone who simply wanted to live.

"This looks delicious," Clarity deadpanned.

Without another word, she pulled open the bag and scattered the white powder onto the cookie. From the corner of her eye, Clarity could see the brown-haired girl's shaking eyes as she slowly lifted the cookie towards her mouth.

Inch by inch. Second after second.

It seemed like an eternity as Clarity's hand, holding the piece of poison, got closer and closer to entering her mouth. Yinn Naron's expression was worsening, but she still seemed to be hesitant about something. Clarity was not planning to eat the cookie for real, but she kept going.

It was because if she had stopped, Yinn Naron would be a goner.

The members would definitely kill her for her assassination attempt.

Just as Clarity was about to "bite" into the cookie, her action was halted by the girl standing before her, grabbing on to her wrist with a desperate expression. Yinn's voice was quivering.

"D-don't eat that. It's poisonous!"

At that moment, a huge boulder was lifted off Clarity's shoulders as she dropped the cookie onto the ground, shaking with relief.

Her intuition had proven to be correct.

"I know." She let out a shaky sigh.

"...You knew?" Yinn was baffled at the short-haired girl in front of her, who was about to eat the cookie knowing it was poisonous.

Ignoring her dumbfounded expression, Clarity held up a hand, gesturing to give her a moment. She had to calm her pounding heart.

Contrary to the confident declaration she had made towards the members before coming down, Clarity was—in fact—scared out of her wits. Unless they were some lunatic, no one would purposely put their own lives in danger. Amidst her cool down, however, she couldn't help but allow a question to enter her head.

Why did Tara Lee want to poison her?

She was a nameless secretary who posed no threat towards Senyu. Was it because of her relationship with Bangtan? Or maybe because she had seemed like an easy target?

Clarity didn't have time to finish her thoughts, however, as several footsteps hurried down the stairs. After her signal that the situation was clear, the members who have concealed themselves on her request had rushed down to check on her conditions.

"Are you okay?" Taehyung's complexion was paler than usual as he kneeled down to face Clarity, cupping her face with his hands, which were surprisingly cold.

"I live." Letting out a breathy chuckle, she pumped a fist in the air jokingly. "I told you to trust in me. Why do you look more nervous than I am?"

"You've definitely got a screw loose somewhere." Jimin sighed as he ran his hand threw his hair.

Indeed, even Clarity thought she was acting a bit insane. However, she succeeded. Yinn Naron won't be dying now, as she had proved to the members with her actions that she was not Senyu's pawn.

At the thought of saving someone from their otherwise unjustified death, Clarity thought it was worth it.

"Now for you..." Tapping his foot, Namjoon turned towards the brown-haired girl who was shaking in fear.

"Yinn Naron. I believe you should explain yourself," Jimin said, slightly frowning.

"Just say what you know, and the members won't hurt you." Clarity sighed before cautiously eyeing the raven haired man beside her.

Except for Taehyung, maybe. The man had a gaze that was screaming "murder!" for the past few minutes now.

Smiling awkwardly, she immediately clung on to his arm to prevent him from venturing onto a warpath.

"...My actions are unforgivable. Even I know that." Now slightly calmer, Yinn let out a shaky exhale as her apologetic gaze fell onto the short-haired girl. "I will face any punishments. It is only right if I do so. But before that, I will tell you everything I know."

With that, Yinn Naron commenced her story.


	29. Around the Table

"Boss."

Tara Lee greeted the person in front of her with a formal bow.

Right now, she was in the confidential office of Senyu Corporation. In the darkened room, there were three people: Kevin, Tara Lee, and the leader of Senyu Corporation. As a member of Senyu's assassins faction, she always worked in the shadows. Minimal people knew of her identity, and any leakage of her work nature would inevitably lead to death, perhaps even by the hands of her own people.

Swallowing subconsciously, Tara began recapping her mission results. "I am here to report my successful infiltration into the household of Bangtan Corporation's priority members. Taking on the identity of the housekeeper, I manipulated Yinn Naron to poison the target, secretary Clarity Moon. The operation was a successful. They would not be able to trace the evidence back to me."

Under the command of Senyu's leader, she had entered Bangtan's dwelling three months ago under the fake housekeeper identity. During this time, she had not been able to obtain any important information other than the members' daily trifles. It was because Bangtan was cautious even inside their own homes.

She had been worried about not producing results. However, that changed when she received an additional mission two weeks ago. It was a simple statement.

Get rid of Kim Seokjin's new secretary.

Rumours had it that Kim Seokjin's new secretary, who had emerged out of nowhere, became an important member of Bangtan Co's seven-member priority faction. Her personal information was nothing special, and she had no connections, assets, or previous reputation in the both the business and underground industries what-so-ever.

Even so, she took part in the Underground Auction, witnessed the footage conference, and also partially caused the casualties of Senyu's assassins in the forest. The underground leaders were all baffled by the sudden presence and decided to do something about it.

Indeed, after a thorough research on the mysterious secretary, they found her weakness.

For some reason, the secretary seemed to be acquainted with Yinn Naron, the girl who had been chosen as the annual human auction product.

The leader's right hand man, Kevin, had asserted this claim in a meeting. "I saw with my own eyes. She had reached out to her when there was a bomb infiltrations the auction hall." He had pressed his palms onto the table with a cold gaze. "The secretary is acquainted with Yinn Naron. She wanted to save her."

Tara Lee recalled how his voice had been strangely emotional as he made that statement. Of course it was. 

Tara did not know this, but Kevin would never forget the Auction day where he was thoroughly embarrassed in front of his subordinates by the secretary who had attacked him through her auction biddings.

He was out to get revenge.

Although Senyu did not know the exact relationship between the secretary and Yinn Naron, they knew how to use that to their advantage. They thought it was finally time they pay back the shame and insults Bangtan had inflicted onto them.

The three people in the room all shared the same thought. Tara and Kevin straightened their posture, awaiting the commands of the man sitting before the office desk. His back was facing his subordinates, yet that did not stop them from shuddering at his intimidating aura. Gazing down at the illuminating city below his feet, the boss of Senyu's stoic but authoritative voice echoed throughout the room.

"Is she dead?"

"Yes, boss," Tara Lee immediately answered, "no one but the secretary and Yinn Naron were in the house, so there were no other witnesses of the poisoning. I watched Yinn Naron put the poison in her cookie, and the secretary took the cookie from the plate."

She recalled how none of Bangtan's members were in the house at that moment, which made the execution of her mission much more convenient.

Luck really was on their side.

After hearing the confirmation, the boss's lips had curled into a twisted smile on his wrinkly face. "Those Bangtan bastards must be in shock right now seeing her death." His tone was coated in mockery. "How saddening."

"Boss. Bangtan Co seems to be hosting a banquet for both underground and business presences. We received a message that Kim Seokjin had personally sent you an invite. According to the informant, Orin was also invited." Kevin paused as the boss seemed to be contemplating something. "Should we decline as usual?"

Senyu's leader was the core of their organization, so he rarely showed up to any public events. Even for Senyu's annual auction, he had just overlooked briefly the opening ceremony before taking his leave. There was no need for the boss to attend these events, anyway, since his subordinates that were great in number would have no trouble handling them alone.

"No, I will attend this time. Contact Orin as well and tell them there's been a change of plans. And Tara Lee. You will go back to being Bangtan's staff and continue to gather information. Report back to me weekly." To the two members' surprise, the boss slowly spun around, interlocking his fingers on the table with a thoughtful smile.

Just imagining Kim Seokjin's usual smug expression being replaced by horrified shock was enough to throw him in a state of ecstatic hysteria.

The tables have finally turned.

* * *

"Stop turning the damn table, Jung Hoseok. You're going to end up flipping it."

Yoongi's voice rang out in annoyance as he steadied the long conference table that was starting to tilt to one side. After learning about the attempted assassination that had occurred in their house, all seven members of Bangtan were now present on the third floor's conference room.

"I wasn't trying to! The table legs are unstable. Jin, get a new table or something. It's not like you don't have the money for it." Hoseok pouted as he crossed one leg over the other, leaning back into his wheelie chair.

"Hobi, shut up." Seokjin gave the frowning boy a superficial smile before turning towards the person to his right. "I apologize for his insolence, Miss Naron. Please continue."

"O-okay," Yinn said with a hesitant nod as her eyes met the gaze of the only other girl in the room. Clarity was looking at her with a reassuring nod.

Frankly, even Clarity was baffled at the current atmosphere in the room. After notifying the members about the incident, she had expected them to be enraged, or at least a bit upset at how she was put in danger. However...

Sighing internally, Clarity's eyes casually scanned the people at the table.

With his stretched legs resting on the conference table, Park Jimin had his arms crossed while he leaned in his chair, sunglasses stacked on his nose bridge like a movie star.

Beside him was Namjoon, who had decided to stand after breaking one of the rollie-chairs five minutes after entering the conference room.

To his left was Jeon Jungkook, who—upon discovering that Jimin, Namjoon, and Hoseok had planned a baking session without him—was sulking in his seat while munching on chocolate chips.

Sitting across from the youngest was a frowning Seokjin. Anyone with eyes could tell that he was about to burst any moment now, after Hoseok and Yoongi's quarrel had interrupted the meeting for the fifth time.

And then there was Clarity herself, who was securely tucked in the tight embrace of Kim Taehyung, the raven-haired man who had been treating her like she's a broken butterfly. Sitting in the space between his long legs, she couldn't help but flush in embarrassment as the man nuzzled his chin onto her shoulder while his eyes kept a mindful gaze on the current situation.

What's more, no one in the room seemed to find his actions atypical even in the slightest bit.

Despite the serious situation, everyone here (except Yinn, but she had always been in a state of panic) appeared to be in a leisure mood, which was—frankly—both worrying and reassuring.

" _I'm not offended! At all!_ " Clarity thought with a fake smile as she pushed her tongue towards the inside of her cheeks, letting out an internal exhale.

Regardless, she gave Yinn a slight nod of reassurance, which prompted the latter continued her story.

"Tara was really kind at first. She was telling me all kinds of things about the world, and how she felt sympathetic towards my situation." Yinn's expression stiffened as she recalled the housekeeper's amiable demeanour, all of which she now knew was nothing more than a facade. "As time went on, she started to urge me to escape this place. She told me that you were the ones who were actually behind the contract with my parents. She said that you were not planning to let me live for long and that you all had alternative intentions in rescuing me."

Yinn clenched the rims of her dress as her lips thinned into a line.

In the beginning, she thought the housekeeper was just trying to help her out and did not think much about her comments. After all, there was no wrong in staying cautious amidst a potentially dangerous situation. 

However, as time went on, the housekeeper's comments started to seep through her rational wall. Yinn didn't know when, but at some point, she started to subconsciously take her words as the truth. She thought it had to be the case, since the people in this household did not seem to want to interact with her in any way.

Wasn't this an act of indirect hostility?

She was then forced into a decisive situation when Tara Lee placed a bag of white powder in her hands.

"What is this...?" The brown haired girl asked with wide eyes as she stared at the housekeeper in front of her.

"This is your ticket to freedom." Tara's voice was sharper than usual as her fierce eyes locked onto hers. "The people of this house aren't here right now. The secretary's the only one here. This is your chance. She's the one who put you in this situation, no? If she didn't take you away into this place, you would have escaped and went on to live freely in this world."

Upon seeing the brown haired girl's conflicted expression, she continued.

"And plus, aren't you jealous of her? She has everything you ever wanted. People who loved her, trustworthy friends, unconditional support—these are all things you could never even dream of having for your whole life."

Thinking back, Yinn had remained silent at her words, yet deep down, she knew that Tara Lee was right. Frankly speaking, envy was an understatement. At one point, she hated the secretary.

Why was the secretary capable of having all these things?

Why Clarity Moon, and not her?

_What gives?_

As these turmoiling thoughts inundated her head, something else suddenly poked at her consciousness.

It was a very brief but emphatic memory from the day of the Auction. When she had been taken away from her home and pushed into the unknown car, Yinn met Clarity for the first time. At that time, she felt the short-haired girl was similar to her. It was a bizarre thought, but she couldn't shake off her instincts.

It was because of her eyes.

Her round, hazel eyes—a shade lighter than her own—were dull.

She was able to tell because she had the same lightless eyes. They were only existent to those who had been accustomed to living in darkness, those who no longer saw the value of living in this lightless world.

However, that wasn't her most prominent memory of the secretary. It was when she was about to be led into the auction hall. Yinn had stumbled when getting off the car, and the secretary had steadied her. One of her hands was holding on to Yinn's wrist, while the other was on her shoulder.

Yinn could clearly recall how Clarity had gave her shoulder a small, almost-reassuring squeeze, as if Yinn's silent screams for help had somehow reached her ears.

Somehow, she had felt the warmth of her palm even with her layered clothing. 

At that moment, Yinn Naron thought she had seen a speck of light.

This was why she couldn't do it. She couldn't just watch as Clarity was about to ingest the poison.

Yinn thought she had to survive, but not at the expense of killing someone else. Especially when that someone had brought along her first glimpse of light.

Ever since she could remember, the world had been an unfriendly place. However, it was bearable. Yinn had managed to live on bearing the pain, because her heart was at peace. Pain was better than guilt, and Yinn was able to live her life without guilt up until this point.

However, as she held the poison in her hands, Yinn thought she could see a line. She had a feeling that if she crossed that line, there would be no going back. Yinn saw that boundary as something to stay away from no matter what and stopped herself at the final moment.

Like Clarity, Yinn had decided to trust her instincts.

* * *

As Yinn finished recounting the series of events, she couldn't help but let out a nervous gulp at the air in the room that now seemed different.

"Are you going to kill me?" She asked with a rueful smile. "If so, I understand. After all, I know what I did was unacceptable. But I still want to say thank you. Thank you for letting me live here during this time. Thank you, and I'm sorry. Sorry it turned out like this."

Unlike her calm words, Yinn's heart was burning in her chest with the feeling that she truly had reached the end. Strangely enough, Yinn was then hit by a sense of relief. It was relief knowing that she still had the right to say with confidence that she had lived her life without guilt, and that she had avoided doing something that would make her feel shameful for living.

"You're not going to die, Miss Naron." Seokjin's calm voice shook her out of her trance, and the brown haired girl looked up at his comment.

"...Pardon?"

"We are not going to kill you." Jimin said softly.

"But..." She was at a loss for words. With pupils shaking, Yinn then looked towards the short-haired girl. "But I almost killed you. So why..."

At that moment, the members all turned their gazes towards the short-haired girl sitting with Taehyung, knowing she had to be the one to answer the question.

"Because you did not do anything deserving of death," Clarity said, repeating the statement of a certain someone whose eyes had softened after hearing his own words. "Well, you almost did. But you stopped yourself."

She gave her a smile.

"For me, that's all that matters."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little sympathy goes a long way in making the world a more welcoming place :)


	30. In Progress

"For me, that's all that matters."

At that moment, something in Yinn Naron broke.

It was first a small crevasse, then several cracks. They extended outwards like the silky threads of a spiderweb. The wall that had boxed her in darkness for as long as she could remember was breaking apart.

Behind its cracks were streaks of emerging light, slowly pouring into her world like millions of shooting stars.

"I-I'm sorry. I—" Before she knew it, tears were trickling down her cheeks and the brown haired girl broke into a sob.

The members seemed to be taken back at her sudden breakdown and exchanged awkward glances with each other, at a loss of what to do. In the end, they decided to wait until she let go of all her pent up emotions. After all, she had been through quite a lot.

Despite her nonstop crying clogging her airway, however, Yinn did not feel suffocated.

Instead, she felt a sense of release.

"Miss Yinn Naron." Through glassy eyes, she could make out a silver-haired man's gentle expression. "You have done well."

"M-Mr. Park?" Her sniffles were muffling her voice as she looked towards him in surprise. She was not expecting forgiveness from Clarity nor any of the members, let alone words of comfort.

Jimin was looking at the brown haired girl who was in a teary-mess with a complicated gaze.

Truthfully speaking, he had seen her vulnerable state when he rescued her from the auction. But he chose to not do anything about it because he considered emotional turmoils to be personal problems. Problems that the individual should overcome by themselves.

As someone outside of the situation, Jimin believed that it would be best not to interfere unless the person had directly asked for help. He could see it now. Jimin thought Yinn Naron did not ask for help, but he was wrong.

She did try calling out. He just didn’t hear her.

"Aigoo..." Sighing at the chaotic atmosphere, Seokjin clicked his tongue. "Let's not flood the conference room, alright? If Miss Clarity says it's fine, then let's just leave it in the past. It's a new chapter. New chapter."

"T-thank you all..." Voice quivering, Yinn blew her nose into a tissue.

Clarity lifted an eyebrow in amusement at the rare frantic look on Seokjin's face. If she had knew that Bangtan's eldest was weak to crying, she would have sobbed her way through the death flags when she first arrived into this world.

After Yinn had calmed down, the group returned to their previous topic of discussion. There were still things that had to be mentioned.

"Anyway, since we're all on the same boat now," Clarity said, smiling at the brown haired girl. "There is something I must tell you as well."

"Yes?" Yinn blinked twice.

* * *

"...I'm the female protagonist in a book?"

After Clarity updated her with everything that had happened, Yinn could only stare with incredulity at the person before her eyes.

"And you're from another world?"

The short-haired girl smiled awkwardly in response.

"...Wow." Yinn did not know what to say. It seemed like her life had taken a 180-turn in the just past few hours.

"Anyways, I know this is hard to believe, but I thought it would be best to let you know in preparation for future events," Clarity explained.

The banquet was coming up, and there was no way to know if things were going to go according to the book. Chances were that it would not, but she had to prepare for as many potential situations as possible.

This was why Clarity decided to confess her identity to Yinn Naron. Now that the original female protagonist officially joined the team, it would be troublesome if she continued to stay at Bangtan's mansion without knowing anything.

In fact, Senyu was probably also aware of her presence, so if they found out that both Yinn Naron and Clarity Moon was alive, and that Tara's plan was an utter failure, they would no doubt send more people after them. In order to avoid unnecessary dangers, everyone had to be on the same page.

Confirming she had everyone's undivided attention, Clarity started to explain to the group the events in leading up to the banquet.

In the short-haired girl's explanation, she mentioned the bombs that were going to be placed in the banquet halls. Although Seokjin had set up security systems all around the place, they still couldn't be one-hundred percent certain that Senyu wouldn't find a way to create chaos like the members themselves had done on the Auction.

"I think it would be best that Miss Naron stay here, then. Wouldn't it be safer that way?" Hoseok suggested after hearing the information.

The members were all skilled and experienced, so they weren't too worried about chaos. However, things could get difficult for ordinary humans like Yinn.

"But since all seven of us are going. It may actually be safer for Miss Naron to stay with us." Namjoon tapped his chin in contemplation.

"Oh, she won't be alone. Clarity's staying with her," Seokjin said with a shrug, and the short-haired girl blinked at him, dumbfounded.

"I'm _what_?" 

"Seokjin's right. It's too dangerous. You can't go." Taehyung's stoic gaze locked onto her eyes with an air of coldness, and Clarity unknowingly shuddered.

This incident made Taehyung realized something.

Senyu had always been Bangtan's enemy, but they did not pose much of a threat as the seven of them was already living recklessly and without a care for anything but each other.

However, this was no longer the case.

Taehyung didn’t have to worry about the other members. He trusted their abilities. On the other hand, he needed to constantly keep an eye out on a certain reckless girl so that Senyu couldn’t dare to lay their hands on her. He didn’t know how much information Senyu had on Clarity, but the fact that this was not the first time they came after her was worrying.

Taehyung's role in the banquet required him to roam around the area and get rid of any uninvited intruders. This meant that he was going to be constantly on the move, and that he would be unable to stay with Clarity throughout the entire event.

This was why the raven-haired man was adamant on stopping her from attending. If something had happened to her while he was away, he didn't know what he would do.

He could not lose her no matter what.

For the first time, Taehyung was acting on neither rationality nor impulse—but fear.

"No, but I have to go." Clarity frowned. "I'm the only one who knows where the bombs are hidden. I need to go so we can get rid of them and prevent a disaster."

"You can tell Yoongi the location of the bombs. He'll know what to do."

"That's not the point," Clarity retorted with a sigh. "You can't just make me stay after hearing everything I just said. The banquet was the climax of the book. Although this world is a stand alone from the original plot, I've got a really bad feeling that something big will happen. I can't just be safe all by myself when all of you are putting yourselves in danger!"

"Exactly. That's why you can't be involved." Taehyung crossed his arms. "That 'something big' is going to be dangerous. Do you not remember the forest assassination and Tara Lee? They know your face."

"I'll be careful, I swear! And plus, they also know all of your faces." Clarity threw her hands up, exasperated. "Trust me, if all of us appear in the same picture, the spotlight is always going to be on all of you."

Imagine seven godly-looking men and a secretary with the face of a Passerby A—it was quite obvious which of the two would receive the attention.

The other members and Yinn shifted their gaze back and forth between the two. The argument had reached a deadlock, with neither sides yielding to the other's request.

At the raven-haired man's stubborn attitude, Clarity exhaled with a huff. Sure, she understood where he was coming from, but there was no way she was going to let the members handle this all by themselves. Although she was weaker than them, she still had the skills of the original Secretary. She was capable of protecting herself, or at least buying time if it came down to it.

However, if she just stayed in sanctuary while the members were engaged in the mission, she would never forgive herself if something were to happen to them. To Taehyung.

If anything, she wanted to be there with him no matter what.

"...Are you set on coming?" Taehyung lowered his eyes. Sensing a moment of capitulation in the raven haired man, she nodded her head promptly.

"Don't worry, I promise I'll keep myself super safe. Two heads are better than one. Eight brains are better than seven." Clarity gave him a cheeky grin, clinging on to his arm like a koala. "Plus, I don't think there are any chances of me being in danger when you’re here, right?"

Taehyung's eyes seemed to finally soften at her words as he exhaled in resignation.

"You're really driving me crazy," he said as he turned to the eldest. "I'm sorry, Jin, but I think I'll have to take up another role in the plan."

"...You're both driving me crazy." Seokjin shook his head at the reckless pair before him. He then spoke to the brown haired girl to his left. "Miss Naron, I apologize, but it looks like it'll be better if you come with us to the banquet after all. You'll be safer with us than staying alone here."

"Got it," Yinn assured him with a smile. "I will make sure to not become a burden and get in the way."

"Your parents are going to be there, too. Are you going to be okay?" Namjoon had an apprehensive gaze as he saw the brown haired girl flinch at the mentioning of her parents.

He had heard from Clarity the other day about how Yinn was sold off by her parents in exchange for money. She was abandoned by her family for monetary gain.

Namjoon pitied the girl. No one should ever have to go through something like that in their lives.

"...I'll be fine." To his surprise, the brown haired girl glanced up with a firm gaze. She still seemed scared, but there was light in her eyes. "If we do end up meeting each other, I will confront them once and for all."

Her soft and fragile voice was coated with determination. Yinn was looking at the group with a rueful smile.

"I do not want to be pursued by darkness anymore."

This was the first choice she made with her own free will. It was her first step towards the light.

"I will be with Miss Naron to make sure she is alright," Jimin said, tilting his head with a smile. "There is no need to worry."

"Jimin-ssi, that's kind of cool," Jungkook wiggled his eyebrows before getting smacked on the head by the silver-haired man.

"Come to think of it," Yoongi, who had been dozing off suddenly spoke up. His nonchalant gaze casually shifted towards Clarity. "You're still dead, aren't you?"

Silence poured into the room.

"Huh?" The latter blinked, dumbfounded by his statement.

"Ah!" Jungkook seemed to understand the older one's words as he took the baton to continue. "Tara Lee asked Miss Naron to poison you, right? So technically, isn't Senyu under the impression that you're dead right now?"

At the members' words, a light bulb lit up in Clarity's head. She had forgotten all about the poisoning.

Indeed, Tara Lee had left Bangtan's mansion thinking that she had "fell" for Yinn Naron's tactics. After all, that poisonous cookie was only inches away from entering Clarity's mouth. Suppose she had reported to Senyu about the successful assassination, would she then continue her fake identity as Bangtan's housekeeper?

As if responding to Clarity's questions, she then heard the buzzing of a cell phone. Vibrating from Seokjin's pocket, the eldest clicked open the screen before the corners of his lips tugged into a smile.

"Now this is a pleasant surprise." Letting out a breathy chuckle, he flipped his screen towards the people in the room, revealing the caller to be none other than [Housekeeper Lee].

The temperature in the room suddenly dropped by a few degrees, sending goosebumps to the back of Clarity's neck. With complicated expressions, the members stared at their eldest with a gaze that seemed to say 'there's-no-way-to-stop-him-now'.

Unaware of their reactions, Seokjin continued on. "Speaking of the devil, and there she is! To think she would return on her own will. Housekeeper Lee must really love her job."

No one in the room mentioned this, but at that moment, they all thought that the most devil-looking one was no other than Kim Seokjin himself.

"People who work hard should be rewarded, don't you think?"

Gulping at his words, Clarity silently offered Tara Lee her condolences.


	31. Drinks & Promises

The two 24-pack Soju boxes landed on the table with a thump, its bottles clattering against each other like bowling pins.

Jungkook stepped back with a satisfied expression, rotating his wrists to relieve the tension from carrying the box.

"It's here!" Jimin swerved into the room at the youngest's voice, but there was someone who was even faster than him.

"Fuck yeah." Yoongi's voice was in a rare state of excitement as he reached for a bottle of the alcohol, twisting it open in an instant. "Nothing is better than soju on a Friday evening."

"Fuck yeah!" Jungkook echoed the older man's words with sparkling eyes.

Standing by the wall were Clarity and Yinn, hesitantly glancing towards the two members with apprehension.

"Was this really okay?" Yinn was looking at the scene before them with uneasiness, while Clarity just sighed.

The living room was louder than usual, with everyone here for the dinner party, except Seokjin and Taehyung.

According to Hoseok, it was a ‘belated welcome dinner’ for Clarity and Yinn, the two new members of the household.

Yoongi had agreed with the proposal, stating that it was necessary to relax every once in a while, especially with a big mission approaching.

Clarity had a feel that he just wanted to drink alcohol, but decided not to say anything.

It was then she heard the front door to the Bangtan mansion swung open, revealing none other than the two absentees for the party.

"Oh, you're here!" Hoseok poked his head from the kitchen. "How did things go with the mole?"

"She spilled everything, of course." Taehyung's expression was stoic was usual as he hung their coats in the closet, while Seokjin shrugged with nonchalance.

"Housekeeper Lee was very cooperative. We were able to obtain quite valuable information from her."

From what Tara Lee had told them, Senyu was indeed planning to hold a transaction with Orin at the banquet. This meant that all they had to do was record the event as it happens, and Senyu was going to be done for. A smirk was on the eldest's face as he strolled over to the kitchen area.

Using Tara's phone, Taehyung had sent information to Senyu regarding a fake banquet blueprint with altered locations. They planned to trick Senyu into holding the transaction in the room with hidden surveillance. Senyu's people would choose the room they thought would be the safest, when in reality, they would be playing right into Seokjin's plan.

'So where's Tara Lee now?" Jimin asked casually, and everyone turned towards Seokjin as he responded.

"No matter." The black haired man was smiling. "You won't be seeing her anymore, anyway."

"..."

Nobody said anything else after hearing the eldest's scary words.

Thinking back to the novel, Clarity especially, felt more relieved than ever to be on the same side as Kim Seokjin.

Shuddering, the short-haired girl was about to go help Hoseok out in the kitchen when she felt a tug on her wrist.

Taehyung was looking at her with a gaze that was saying he wanted to talk to her alone. Nodding slightly, Clarity felt his long fingers interlock with hers as the man led her past the rowdy living room to the balcony at the end of the hallway.

With only the two of them in the outside space, Taehyung gently caressed her cheek with his hand, a tinge of hesitancy in his voice as he started to speak.

"Do you have to go? To the banquet?"

A light breeze brushed between them at that moment, its gentleness giving off an air of melancholy that matched the discomposure on his face. Clarity's eyes softened after seeing the raven haired man looking at her in desperation, as if she was a feather that would fly away with the slightest movement.

"I am not doubting your abilties, I know you're strong. But I am still worried." Taehyung's voice shook a bit. He held a strand of Clarity's hair that was flying in the breeze, tucking it behind her ears. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Clarity couldn't but wonder after seeing the intense emotions surging behind Taehyung's calm eyes.

How much did someone have to go through for them to make an expression like this?

She did not know what he had experienced throughout his life, and perhaps she would never find out everything. Despite all the unknowns, however, there was one certainty in her heart.

Raising her arms, Clarity pulled the raven-haired man into a warm embrace. Although he was a head taller than she was and had a much stronger physique, at that moment, he seemed like a fragile child as he buried his face in her neck.

"I will not get hurt." Her words, brimming with clarity, were gently spoken one by one as Clarity's arms around him tightened. "I will not go anywhere, either. I will stay with you. With all the members. We'll be together during the banquet, and we'll be together for all the days after that, too."

She took a small step back, lightly wiping off the single teardrop that was sliding down Taehyung's left cheek like a trail of diamonds.

"We will all live happily."

Something flashed in Taehyung's eyes at that moment, and he looked like a small child taking his first step. "Can we reall-"

"We can." Clarity smiled, answering him without hesitation. "You, me, everyone in Bangtan Co. We can do it if we're together."

Word by word. Sentence by sentence. Clarity was sure of it.

Slowly but surely, they would write up their own stories.

"...Okay," Taehyung said as he brushed his bangs aside. Under the translucent moonlight, his smile was comparable to the brightest star in the universe. "Let's do that."

"Yah, Namjoon told me to get you two because the party is starting-" Yoongi stopped mid sentence as he took in the atmosphere between the two, a frown slowly emerging on his face. "...Why is it always me?"

At the light-haired man's annoyed expression, Taehyung and Clarity exchanged a meaningful smile. The former lightly patted Yoongi's shoulders with a meaningful nod while the latter gave him a salute before strolling towards the kitchen.

"...Should I just move out?" Yoongi sighed.

"What took you two so long?" Jimin offered Clarity the Soju bottle in his hand as he toss another one to Taehyung, who caught it with one hand. "We almost started without you!"

Everyone was already seated by the table, with the two remaining seats for Clarity and Taehyung. Yoongi moved up behind her, dropping himself onto the chair with a plop as he cracked open another bottle of Soju.

"Let's do a collective cheers!" Hoseok suggested, "what should we dedicate this to?"

"Cheers to Kim Seokjin's existence!" Seokjin commented as he raised his glass.

"Alright, everyone. Cheers to screwing Senyu over!" Ignoring the eldest's comments, Namjoon lifted his glass, and everyone followed his actions.

As the short-haired girl was moving the glass towards her mouth, a thought suddenly occurred in her head.

She had travelled in this world in October, two months before the new year where she would turn twenty years old. Technically, it was only legal to drink alcohol in Korea after the New Years. But again, more than three months had passed since her arrival in this world, so even if it wasn't the New Years, there was nothing wrong in saying that she was twenty, right?

"Don't tell me you've never tried alcohol before?" Jimin arched an eyebrow after seeing her hesitancy.

"Miss Clarity is surprisingly innocent," Hoseok chimed in, smiling brightly.

Feeling provoked by the two's exaggerated reactions, Clarity grabbed the bottle from his hand. With a huff, she attempted to pop open the cap, only to find it too tight. With an amused expression, Jimin watched as she helplessly tried to twist the bottle open, only to resign at the end and take the bottle that Taehyung had already opened.

"What are you smiling at?" Shooting a dirty glance towards Jimin's direction, she brought the soju to her lips, taking a huge gulp of it only to grimace at its strong flavour.

"Y-yah, slow down..." She could hear Seokjin's shocked voice as she swallowed the drink, feeling it slide down her throat.

Her tongue was burning, and it felt like a fire was starting her stomach. Ignoring the burning sensation in her insides, she managed to muster a smug smile after seeing the shock on the members' faces.

"See? I can drink."

"Clarity, I don't think you should force yourself if you've never drank before..." Taehyung was eyeing her uneasily as he watched the short-haired girl's face slowly deepened by a whole shade of pink.

"Do not worry! I think I have a good alcohol tolerance," Clarity replied, gleefully patting him on the head, ruffling his hair.

"Don't forget your words, Miss Clarity." Jimin smirked as he filled a row of shot glasses with soju. He turned to the members, gesturing to the rows of drinks with both hands. "It's been a while since I've drank like this. How about a competition?"

"Here he goes again." Namjoon sighed.

"Let's get it." Jungkook was cracking his knuckles like he was going into a fight. "Jimin- _ssi_. You may be older than me, but I won't go easy on you."

"Yah, kids. Don't break anything," Yoongi lazily warned before taking another bottle on the table.

"Worry not. My tolerance is _quite_ high." A mischievous glint was visible in his eyes as Jimin ran a hand through his silver hair. "I'll make it so all of you can't even walk straight after this."

* * *

An hour later, the silver-haired man could be seen rolling off the leather couch.

"Miss Naron. Yinn Naron. Can you hear meeeeee?" Slouched over the furniture, Jimin downed another shot of Soju as he dazedly glanced towards the brown-haired girl on the other side of the table.

"Y-yes?!" Yinn flinched at the man's calling.

She had not been allowed to drink alcohol during this dinner party since she was only turning nineteen this year. As a result, poor Yinn was able to witness the group's entire transformation from civilized individuals to a chaotic mess.

"Heraclitus had once said that the only constant in life is change." At some point, Namjoon had pulled over a whiteboard as he started to scribble down the Greek philosopher's cosmological theories. "Heraclitus was fed up with humanity, so he started to live in isolation in the mountains, eating grass and pretending to be a cow."

"Miss Naron." His sudden queue caused the brown haired girl to jolt in surprise. "Why do you think he did that?"

Before Yinn could answer, however, she was interrupted by Hoseok's loud laugh.

"Y-Yoongi's really curled up like a cat!" The man was pointing towards the counter with one hand while clenching his stomach with the other, shaking uncontrollably from laughter.

Looking towards his direction, Yinn could see the light-haired man sleeping on the counter with a blanket over his body, while Jungkook—cheeks puffed and hair a mess—giggled as he tickled Yoongi's nose with a feather.

"Bullshit!" Yoongi's sudden outburst almost made her trip on air. With eyes still closed, he then returned to sleep as if nothing happened.

"Language!" Hoseok's laughter could be heard all the way from the couch.

"English!" Jungkook answered with pride.

"Ah. They've really all lost it."

Yinn turned her head after hearing a calm voice that stuck out amidst the chaos. Seokjin was swirling a glass of wine in his hand, elegantly wafting the aroma before taking a small sip of the drink. The brown haired girl subconsciously let out a relieved sigh after learning that there was one rational mind in the house besides her own.

At least that was what she had thought—until the man started to speak.

"Miss Clarity, when did your hair grow so fast?"

"..."

Her eyes widened as Seokjin downed the wine in one gulp, smacked the glass on the table, and started making his way towards her.

"Mr. Kim, I-" Before she could finish, he had shut her up by pressing his index finger on her lips. With a puzzled expression, Seokjin eyed her up and down before sliding a portion of her silky brown hair between his fingers, examining it as if he had never seen hair in his life.

"I'm not Clarity, Mr. Kim. I'm Yi-"

" _Shhhh_." His unfocused gaze fell on her and Yinn immediately froze on the spot.

Baffled by the situation, the brown haired girl casted a desperate glance towards Taehyung, the only other sober person in the room, in hopes for he would know what to do. However, she soon realized that she was all on her own.

It was because the raven-haired man was in even worse of a situation that she was.

" _Taehyungieeeeeeee_!" Dragging out his name a song, Clarity had fastened herself on Taehyung's back like a sloth, grinning as she pressed her lips to his right cheek in a sloppy kiss. "Why are you so cute? You're like a puppy! A super cute puppy!"

"Clarity, you're drunk." Taehyung sighed before repositioning the girl on his back so she wasn't slipping off.

"I'm not _drunk_. I'm Clarity!" She replied, her uneven breathing brushing past the side of his jaw.

Yinn could see the raven-haired man subconsciously gulp at the action and had to hold back a sigh herself.

It was going to be a long night.


	32. Like Peaches

The night was indeed—long.

For the past few hours, Yinn had sat through two of Kim Namjoon's philosophical lectures, three of Hoseok's karaoke sessions, and five rounds of rock-paper-scissors between Seokjin and Jungkook, which the latter had won 5:0, by the way.

"Miss Yinn Naron!" For the nth time, her head jolted up at the voice of the silver-haired man. "I need to tell you something."

Jimin lazily lift a finger, gesturing her to come closer. Hesitantly, Yinn shuffled towards him, stopping when she was an arm's length away. With a tilt of his head, Jimin then pushed himself forward, almost stumbling as he closed the space in between them. With a serious expression, he looked around discreetly before speaking in a low whisper.

"I'm sorry."

Out of everything Yinn had been through this night, this had to be the most shocking yet.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I'm sorry!" Ignoring her question, Jimin repeated his apology, this time in an even louder voice. "I must have been deaf. How could I not have heard you? I'm sorry."

Yinn was at a complete loss of what to do.

She had no idea why the silver-haired man was apologizing to her as if he had committed murder, when he had nothing to be sorry about. If anyone, it should be Yinn who had to apologize for everything she'd done.

"...You don't have to be sorry for anything." She said with a frown. Jimin slowly blinked at her saddened expression, which then contorted into pure shock as large droplets of tears started streaming down his flawless face.

Yinn's mouth dropped open.

"W-why are you crying now?"

"You're s-such a nice p-person!" Jimin sniffed as he managed to choke out his words amidst the waterfall of tears.

"You bet she is!" Behind them, Clarity pumped her fist on the air, still sitting on the back of Taehyung. "Yinn is a nice girl! She was a saint in her past life!"

"I'm not a saint," she said softly.

"No, you are! You're nice, so you might as well be one! Right, Taehyungie?"

"Yes, yes."

Eyeing the two drunks muttering nonsense, Taehyung and Yinn exchanged a knowing glance. In the current situation, they felt like comrades who had to survive a war together.

It was at that moment.

A ear-piercing sound filled the room as the wine glass in Seokjin's hand fell onto the floor, shattering into numerous tiny pieces. Startled by the noise, everyone turned towards the eldest, who stood there with an awestruck expression as he pointed his finger towards Clarity, then to Yinn.

"Why are there two Claritys!?"

This time, Yinn couldn't help but shake her head.

"I'm Yinn Naron, Mr. Kim."

Much to her chagrin, Se0kjin seemed even more shocked after hearing her stoic introduction. At that moment, his mind flashed back to a blurry conversation he had with Clarity sometime in the past. It was about the fanfiction she had read.

"Y-you..." With shaking hands, he slowly lifted a finger towards her direction. "I will never, ever fall in love with you!"

Listening in on the conversation with a giggly Clarity on his back, Taehyung let out a long exhale after hear the eldest's nonsense. Clarity had told Yinn about the alternate book universe. She had also told Yinn that she was the female protagonist in the book. However, she had not said that Seokjin was the male lead in that story.

Which was why Yinn Naron was standing there, jaws dropping at Seokjin's sudden statement.

"W-where was this coming from?" Her face was heating up as she frantically waved her hands in front of her. "I did not ask you to do that in the first place!"

Shaking his head at the two, Taehyung felt Clarity's arms that hung around his neck tighten as he stood up from the couch. He walked past Yinn, whose eyes happened to met Clarity's at that moment.

Despite the chaotic atmosphere, the brown haired girl felt a surge of warmth filling her chest as she looked at everyone in the room. From the different interactions to the drunken chaos, things she never expected to experience in her life were unfolding before her eyes.

Yinn felt that these memories would remain vivid for a long time.

"Miss Clarity," Yinn quickly called out to her before glancing up with a grateful smile. "Thank you. For everything."

Head resting peacefully on Taehyung's back, Clarity red cheeks puffed up with a grin. "You're welcome! We're all trying to survive. Survival is key!"

Taehyung didn't even bother to hide his sigh as he secured the short-haired girl on his back before giving Yinn a curt nod. His gaze moved towards the rows of empty bottles scattered on the table, and Yinn could see the visible regret in his eyes.

"I will leave the rest of the members to you, Miss Naron."

"Huh?"

"Good luck."

As Taehyung made his way mercilessly upstairs without looking back, Yinn felt an ominous foreboding as she faced the remaining six members and the room which was a mess. Yinn sighed.

It was sigh filled with fatigue, but she was smiling.

* * *

"Wah! Your bed is like cotton candy!"

Clarity flopped onto the blue mattress like a penguin as she allowed her body to sink into the soft covering. Standing before the bed, the black-haired man was observing her actions with a helpless smile.

Taehyung had originally planned to carry her to her room, but Clarity—completely wasted—had started sulking when they were a third through the hallway, saying that she wanted 'visit the tiger's den'.

"Y'know, I thought you were a tiger at first. A really scary one, too! But it turns out you're just a cute puppy!" Clarity was grinning like a child as she tightly wrapped her arms around his waist. "My puppy!"

Compared to the normal Clarity, who was usually thoughtful and rational, this Clarity acted upon impulse. Noting this, Taehyung couldn't help but be amused at this new side of her. 

He thought he didn't mind seeing more of this drunk Clarity.

"Are you done playing around? Let's get you back to your room," he said gently, offering his hand to the giggly girl sitting on his bed.

Instead of taking his hand, however, Clarity's attention was focused on the shelf behind him, her eyes lighting up at a certain item.

"It's the camera that's worth a house in Seoul!" Springing up like a bouncy ball, she reached past his ears for the Leica camera that Taehyung had kept in utmost care on the highest row of his shelf. Unfortunately, she was too short and the raven-haired man, seeing her struggles, let out a soft chuckle as he turned to get the camera for her.

"No! I want to do it myself," Clarity pouted as her round, brown eyes narrowed at his actions. Taehyung moved his head with a small tilt.

"But you can't reach."

Scrunching her nose, Clarity thought for a moment before reaching out her arms like a child. Taehyung blinked at her action.

"Carry me!"

"Ha..." Regardless of his sigh, the raven-haired man did as he was told. Putting his large hands around her waist, he lifted her with ease, levelling her face with the highest shelf.

With a grin, Clarity hugged the camera in her arms as she was lowered down. "Let's take a picture together!"

"A picture?"

"Yes! A lot of pictures! That's what couples do." She bobbed her head up and down, unaware of the blush inching onto Taehyung's face at her mentioning of the word couple.

Without waiting for his reply, she tugged downwards on his wrist so he was sitting beside her on the bed. Flipping open the camera cover, she turned the lens towards her direction. Pulling the man closer to her, she held out a peace sign with her empty hand and grinned.

"Say V!"

"V..." Taehyung had a confused look on his face as he managed to mimic her peace sign as she clicked on the shutter.

 _Click_!

"Haha, you forgot to smile." Printing out the photo from the camera, she examined the final product in amusement. "But you're good looking anyway, so it doesn't matter!"

In the picture, Clarity and Taehyung's faces were slightly squished together, framed by their peace signs. The former was beaming like she had won the lottery while the latter stared into the camera with a stoic but cute expression.

"Is this a ‘couples’ photo?" He asked the short haired girl, who nodded promptly. At her response, he looked at the picture fondly.

It was his first time taking a picture that was not for mission necessities, but to make memories.

As Taehyung reached for the picture, however, Clarity drew her hand back with a teasing smile. "I'm keeping this our first couples photo! We'll take another one and you can keep the second one!"

Raising an eyebrow at her words, Taehyung nodded as he reopened his camera, only to find it to be out of battery. Slightly frowning, the raven haired boy contemplated for a bit before scooting towards the drawer by his bed. Clarity watched as he took something out of the drawer, turning to her with a purple pendant box in his hand.

"What's this?" Her eyes, round with curiosity, widened as Taehyung opened the box, revealing a lustrous but elegant helix earring. Amidst the center of the adornment was a glossy purple gem that looked as if it had been kissed by magic.

"This...For me?" Clarity's jaw dropped at the mesmerizing jewelry.

"I'll trade you this for the picture, how about it?" He offered with a small smile.

Taking her flabbergasted expression as a 'yes', the raven haired man placed the black box in her hand while taking the picture from the other. He had planned to give her the necklace once everything was over, but this also worked out nicely. Holding the picture delicately in his hands, Taehyung's lips tugged into a smile.

"It's... so _pretty_." On the other hand, Clarity looked like she was about to cry as she examined the piece of jewelry, then the black-haired man who gave her the jewelry. "Kim Taehyung!"

Taehyung turned around after hearing his full name, only to freeze halfway as Clarity pressed her lips onto his. Her lips, sweetened by the Soju, was intoxicating to his senses and sent an electrifying wave of emotions throughout his body. Without thinking, Taehyung leaned to deepen the kiss, pressing his body towards hers.

Maybe it was the flavoured Soju, maybe it was Clarity's inherent sweetness, but as their lips pieced together, Taehyung thought she tasted like peaches.

It was driving him insane.

He could feel one of Clarity's hands find its way to his back while the other ran through his messy, black curls. The shift in weight caused them to fall backwards, with the girl back sinking into the bed as Taehyung found himself hovered over her, his arms pressed to the space by her sides.

"T-Taehyungie..." Clarity's face was bright red like a Christmas ornament as she called his name.

Taehyung's breath hitched as he swallowed hard, his Adams Apple shifting in his throat. Both of them were breathing heavily, chest syncing in its movements, lost in each other's eyes.

Laying beneath him, Clarity's shoulder-length hair was sprawled behind her as she looked down at her white blouse, which had become an unkempt mess from moving around. With an annoyed pout, she clumsily moved her hands to the top of her blouse, undoing the first button, then the second.

When she reached the third, Taehyung had grabbed on to her wrist with shaking pupils.

"Clarity." His voice was raspy, its usual calmness replaced with a cautious whisper. "...Do you know what you're doing?"

"It's hot... I want to take it off because I'm burning up!" Clarity whined before attempting to push his hand away, only to realize that his grip was not budging. " _Taehyungieeee_! Move your hand!"

She nudged his torso with her knee to get his attention, and Taehyung stiffened at her action.

"Either do that..." Clarity mumbled before moving her face towards him again. Her breath brushing against his skin, Taehyung froze as he felt her tongue smoothly glided over his bottom lip. Clarity glanced upwards at him with a glint in her round eyes, the corner of her lips curling into a mischievous smile.

"Or kiss me again!"

Taehyung's mind was a jumbled mess as he stared at the girl before her with a blush visible even under dimmed lights. As much as he wanted to continue—now wasn't the time. Not when Clarity was barely staying awake under the influence of alcohol. She didn't know what she was doing.

 _He_ didn't know what he was doing.

It took all of Taehyung's self control to lift himself off the bed, away from the short-haired girl.

"You need to sleep." He brushed his hair backwards, massaging his temples with a shaky exhale.

"But I'm not sleepy..."

"No. You are sleepy."

"..."

Before Clarity noticed what was going on, Taehyung had rolled her into a sushi-roll with several layers of blankets. As the man was about to step back, however, Clarity suddenly grabbed a fistful of his shirt, pulling him back down with her. The two of them just laid side by side, one in covered in blankets, the other forgetting to breath.

Even in sushi-form, Clarity somehow managed to cling onto the raven haired man. Yanking out her arms from the blankets, she curled them around his sides, using his arm as a pillow while hurling her leg over his.

Tensing over her actions, Taehyung internally muttered out a term of profanity as he tried to stay as still as possible. Truly, he thought that his biggest development since meeting Clarity was his self control.

One day.

One day, he would get back at her for this.

Taehyung shook his head at his own naivety as he recalled his initial impressions the drunken girl. Eyeing Clarity beside him, who was now in a deep, sweet slumber, the man let out a long exhale.

He was never going to let her touch alcohol again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> taehyung: probably a beast in bed  
> also taehyung: blushes at the word 'couple'
> 
> next chapter will be out sunday, so look forward to it! also, please let me know how you’re finding the story so far in the comments :)


	33. It’s Time

"Is everyone here?" Jimin's calm voice reverberated throughout the room.

"Miss Clarity and Miss Yinn are still in preparing!" Jungkook replied, peering over to the two closed doors by the change room.

The banquet was starting in less than two hours, and the members had scattered themselves around the banquet hall to ascertain the final preparations for their plan. Yoongi and Hoseok were checking the security systems while Namjoon and Seokjin headed in the front gates to welcome the incoming guests.

Taehyung, Jungkook, and Jimin remained by the backstage change room as they waited for the two female members to get ready.

As if replying to the youngest's statement, one of the doors swung open at that moment, revealing none other than the brown-haired female protagonist. In an elegant green dress that was rimmed in white lining, Yinn sheepishly moved from the change room doors to the front of the room. Her hair, usually let loose to her waist, was tied up in a neat french-bun, allowing two curly strands of hair to frame her face.

"Sorry for taking so long. It was a bit difficult tying the ribbon," she said, pointing to the large adornment by her back with an awkward smile.

"Ah. That's..." Jimin blinked twice before recollecting his composure. "That's fine. You didn't take very long."

"Yeah, it's Miss Clarity who’s taking up an eternity." Jungkook puckered his lips, legs dangling on the high chair he was sitting on.

"I'll go check on her." Lifting himself up from the leather couch, Taehyung was about to head towards the change room when the second door swung open, and all heads turned towards the source of the sound.

At that moment, the raven-haired man froze on the spot as his eyes clouded. As if he was captured under a spell, everything around him blurred, and all Taehyung could focus on was the girl standing before them.

"Finally, Miss Clar-" Jungkook's voice trailed off half way through his sentence, his doe-like eyes widening at the girl standing before them.

"...Woah."

In contrast to Yinn's light green ballgown, Clarity was in a modern kimono dress that flowed down to her knees as a gradient wash of obsidian. Strewn with silver embroidery, the dress was layered with patterns that resembled fireflies of a midnight sky. Eyes twinkling, Clarity tucked a stand of hazel hair behind her ears, unintentionally revealing the earring that was glowing in a dim purple.

"I know that we have to dress formally since it's a banquet, but _really_?" Unaware of the dumbfounded eyes in the room, she twirled around on the spot, watching her bell sleeves fly at her actions. "...Why are you all looking at me like that?"

It was more convenient to execute the plan with inconspicuous outfits, which was why the members decided to follow the dress code. The last time Clarity had worn a dress was during senior year prom in high school. She recalled the troublesome preparations and makeup processes she had to go through for hours, only for a few damn pictures. This was her first time in a year spending similar efforts on dressing up.

Clarity exhaled as she could already start feeling the fatigue kick in.

"Clarity, it looks so great on you!" Yinn was the first one to speak. She clasped her hands together with delight.

"It really does. I didn't expect you to pull it off so well." Jimin agreed slowly.

"Y-you..." Jungkook was at a loss for words as he pointed towards the short-haired girl with shaking pupils.

_Yeah. He definitely did not see me as a woman until now._

Clarity silently ascertained her thoughts before turning towards a certain raven haired man, the only person who yet to make a comment. Standing as straight as a pole, Taehyung just stared at her with slightly parted lips, his usual calmness replaced by a look of pure befuddlement. Seeing this rare expression coming from him, Clarity subconsciously bit the insides of her cheeks to suppress a smile.

"Since we're all ready, let's go to the main hall," Jimin said as he and Yinn headed towards the entrance. Jungkook, still eyeing Clarity with a dazed expression, snapped out of his trance and quickly trailed after the two.

Shaking her head with a smile, Clarity was about to do the same, only to be stopped by someone grabbing her wrist.

"You can't go out," Taehyung said.

"Huh?"

"They're going to be staring at you," he casted his gaze downwards, annoyed by the thought of the girl being under the eyes of others. "I don't want them looking at you."

Eyes widening at his straightforward words, Clarity let out a soft chuckle as she looked at Taehyung in amusement.

"There he goes again." Jimin, who was observing all this by the entrance, rolled his eyes. "Whenever this man is with you, he becomes incapable of thought. Miss Clarity, please do something about his current state so he doesn't screw up the plan."

"Jimin, you talk too much." Taehyung replied to the silver-haired man's statement with a glare, and the latter rose his hands in resignation and headed towards the main banquet hall.

"It doesn't matter if everyone is looking at me," Clarity said, pressing her lips onto his as her eyes curled into a smile. "Because I'll be only looking at you."

"...You're good at talking," Taehyung let out a shaky laugh, pressing his palm to his forehead with a helpless smile.

"I know." She grinned.

"By the way, Jimin's wrong."

Clarity blinked at the sudden seriousness in his tone as the raven-haired man finished his sentence.

"I am capable of thought."

"..Pfft."

* * *

As expected from a Bangtan-hosted banquet, the main hall was brimming with extravagance. Numerous representatives from renowned companies were present, cheerfully chatting with one another as they marvelled over the grandiose setting of the event.

Despite being one of the biggest names in the business industry, Bangtan Corporation did not initiate direct any social gatherings nor did they attend them often. This was why when people heard that CEO Kim Seokjin was planning on hosting the banquet himself, prominent figures from the business and underground world alike begun pouring in like desperate bugs all in hopes to become acquainted with the capable man.

Where ever Seokjin went, there would always be a flock of people chasing after him. As a result, it became much easier for the other members to move around without receiving attention themselves.

"Oh jeez, I'm getting nervous..." Observing the scene from one of the high tables, Clarity fanned herself as she reached for a cocktail, only for her hand to be immediately pressed onto the table. Pouting, she turned towards the man beside her.

"Nervousness is good," Taehyung said stoically, "it heightens your sensory abilities and raises your perceptiveness."

"You just don't want me drinking alcohol." She arched an eyebrow in amusement. "Don't worry, this isn't enough to get me drunk."

"..."

"Was I really that scary when I'm drunk?" Clarity didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Taehyung's eyes shook at her question, as if recalling a war flashback.

"Alright, alright. I get it." She rose her hands in front of her. "I won't drink."

The two of them were at an inconspicuous table in the back of the room, observing the social gatherings while locating the different members.

The publicly-known members of Bangtan—Seokjin, Hoseok, and Jimin—acted as the spotlights of the event as representatives from different companies approached them one after another, attempting to start a conversation. 

It was then Clarity saw it.

From afar, a group of body guards were making their way towards Seokjin. They seemed to be guarding someone, surrounding him like a wall of protection.

"It's Senyu's CEO," the raven haired man's voice was lowered as he observed the situation with a vigilant gaze. "Our target is here."

Clarity was unable to see his face, but she knew it was Senyu's leader from the commotions arising from the other guests after seeing his presence. People turned their heads towards the two leaders who were known to be in an unfriendly rivalry.

No, it should now be called a hostile relationship.

With the appearance of Senyu's CEO, it meant that their plan was now in action. Casually glancing around the room, Clarity's eyes met Seokjin's as the eldest elegantly lifted his left arm, pushing his sleeve back to glance at his watch. To others, the CEO of Bangtan was just checking the time, but Clarity and the other members, it was the signal to begin.

Operation Code V would start now.

Clarity quickly reorganized the plan in her head.

While Seokjin, Jimin and Hoseok kept the unsuspecting guests occupied, Clarity and Taehyung would meet up with Hacker Suga, who would be waiting in the a discreet conference room on the third floor, away from the main hall. Prior to the start of the banquet, Clarity had already told Suga the locations of the hidden bombs in the original fanfiction. Two hours ago, Hoseok had checked those places again, only to return with nothing.

Of course, it would be the most desirable result if there were no bombs, and that this world had digressed from the original plot. With the start of the banquet, however, they planned to meet up and check the locations one last time.

Just in case.

As they proceed with the plan, Namjoon, having access to all the securities and CCTVs around the banquet hall, would provide the group with constant updates with the plan. They would also keep an eye out for Conference Room 613, the trap room which would end up as the location for Senyu and Orin's drug transaction.

"Let's go." Taehyung's gaze was as dark as the obsidian night as he straightened his black blazer, giving his tie a light tug.

Nodding slightly, Clarity swiftly skimmed around the room to make sure everything was proceeding as planned. Jimin was surrounded by a hoard of girls while Hoseok was engaging with prominent business officials on his end. Seokjin, having disappeared with Senyu's CEO, was currently not in the main hall, but that was also according to the eldest's plans.

 _Hm_?

Something felt off.

Lips curving into a frown, Clarity quickly scanned the area again. Jimin, Hoseok and Seokjin were the main characters of the banquet, while her, Taehyung, Yoongi, Jungkook and Namjoon would act in the background. However, something about this set up seemed off. Something was missing.

Her heart dropped as Clarity realized the source of the ominous feeling.

It wasn't something, but _someone_.

"Where's Yinn?" She spun towards Taehyung, whose eyes widened at her frantic words.

"Where is Yinn Naron?"


	34. Her Light

Contrasting with the main hall's social atmosphere, the inner corridors were sparse with people as an eerie silence dawned upon the area.

At the end of the hallway, three people were in the middle of a confrontation.

"I did not expect you to be here." A woman in her mid-forties sneered, turning her fan ostentatiously with her hand. "Did you also manage to make a reputation for yourself after being sold off to the wealthy?"

A contemptuous frown emerged on her face after hearing no response, and the man beside her spoke up. "It is rude to ignore the words of your mother, Yinn Naron."

Backed against the wall, Yinn Naron glared at the two people with spite. She had prepared herself beforehand after hearing from Namjoon that her parents may be at the banquet, but this situation was still pushing her to the limits.

Everything she had planned to say during the confrontation was wiped from her mind the moment she saw them. As Yinn faced the two nightmares of her past, she could only blink in horror as countless memories flashed before her eyes, dragging her back into the days of her perturbing childhood.

"What are you doing here?" Her words were sharp and cold.

"I should be asking you the same thing." The woman clasped her fan shut. "You really are lucky, Yinn. It looks like your owner is quite a generous person, to bring someone like you to an occasion like this one."

"I wasn't bought. I am not an object."

"No matter. I'm glad to see you doing well, regardless." Her eyes flickered thoughtfully. "After we got rid of you, it was like our whole house was stripped of misfortune. We were able to enter a whole new world, and money came pouring towards us. In a way, this is all thanks to you."

Despite the words of gratitude, the woman was staring at her like she was nothing more than a speck of dust. Yinn pressed her lips into a thin line. The world was spinning, instigating a surge of nausea within her.

"We should get going. He's coming soon." The man's voice was authoritative as always. He glanced past her as if Yinn wasn't even worth his attention. "It will be meddlesome if we missed our opportunity because of her."

 _Her_.

A rueful smile was on Yinn's face.

From the way he spoke, would anyone be able to tell that they were once a family related by blood?

"Oh, yes. Indeed, you're right." The woman messaged the side of her temple. Her brows furrowed in disdain as she turned towards the man. "Dorian, are you sure this is where the conference was supposed to be? Those Senyu people did come this way, right?"

"My ears would never betray me. I heard their conversation," Yinn's father, Dorian, replied. His eyes skimmed the empty hallway as he spoke with a lowered voice. "Kim Seokjin was definitely going to pass by here."

Yinn's head perked up at the familiar name.

"Kim Seokjin?" She unknowingly blurted out loud as her eyes widened in horror. "Why are you looking for him?"

"Hah? Why else? Of course we have to meet the host of this wonderful banquet. It would be rude not to do so." Sarly said conceitedly, crossing her arms in front of her. "Those sly Senyu people. They've tricked us with the contract and only gave us half of the originally amount that we agreed upon. I knew we couldn't trust those old foxes. I can only depend on myself for this."

"Sarly." The man looked at her with cold eyes, and the woman only huffed in response as she stopped talking.

As Yinn took in the bits and pieces of information from their complaints, she was able to understand the situation. 

Her parents were trying to become acquainted with Seokjin, as well as the rest of Bangtan Co.

They wanted to climb up the social ladder.

Her parents were pretentious people. Yinn knew that from spending years of her life in that household. Sarly, especially, was obsessed with social standings and reputation. It was an extreme obsession, to the point where she would sell her own daughter for money.

Yinn thought about the Bangtan household. About the people who had saved her life from being a living hell. She thought about the members who had saved her on the day of the auction, who had acted as the streaks of light that illuminated her vision. Yinn clenched her fist.

"No." She moved between the two and blocked their path to the rest of the hallway. "Stay away from him."

For a moment, Sarly seemed truly taken back by her actions before recollecting herself with a sneer. "Ha?! And who do you think you are? Wait, actually. How is someone like you acquainted with the CEO of Bangtan Corporation? What methods did you use?"

"Brat. We have no time for you right now." Dorian's cold voice sent fear throughout her body, but Yinn didn't budge.

"Stay away from them," she said again, this time a bit fiercer.

In the past, Yinn was unable to defend herself against Sarly and Dorian's treatment towards her, so she endured. She thought that as long as she maintained the line, as long as she stayed in that boundary, everything was going to be okay.

But now, that boundary was going to be broken. They were threatening to overstep that line and lay their hands on those she cared about.

It was too late for Yinn to deny her past associations with them, so she chose acceptance. However, she wouldn't allow her parents to use their past to become involved with the Bangtan members.

They were her light. She was not going to let anyone taint her light.

"Yinn Naron, I was going to let you go considering the money that your leave had brought for the family." Sarly narrowed her eyes. "But you're acting like this now?"

"Brat. Have you forgotten who raised you? Who gave you food and shelter?" Dorian stepped forward.

"Fuck off," Yinn spat out, and both of their eyes widened. "Raised me? I suppose you did raise me. You raised me quite well, actually. Turning me into the servant of the house and all."

It was at that moment. A hollow applause echoed throughout the hallway in a slow and steady manner. The next thing she knew, someone was standing behind her with a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Simply splendid, Miss Yinn. This is how language should be used." His voice was firm but comforting, resounding by her ear like waves under a serene moonlight.

The brown haired girl felt her knees buckle after hearing the reassuring voice, but she did not fall. It was because Kim Seokjin was steadying her from behind.

With a presence comparable to an anchor in the ocean, Seokjin waited until she regained her balance before turning his attention towards the two people in front of him. "You must be Miss Yinn's parents, correct?"

"Oh, this is...! CEO Kim, it is an honour to mee-" Sarly's excited words was cut off by the black-haired man's cold gaze.

"I was asking a question."

"I apologize greatly for her insolent words, Mr. Kim. My wife is not very familiar with the etiquettes needed for such gatherings." Dorian bowed apologetically before looking towards the brown haired girl. "Yinn is our daughter. But we have not seen each other for a long time and-"

"Yinn, these two claim to be your family." Seokjin cocked his head to the side. "Are you a family?"

Standing with mouths open, Sarly and Dorian were shocked to see that the CEO of Bangtan Corporation was talking to their daughter in such a familiar manner.

"We used to be—until they sold me off, that is," Yinn said honestly.

"Such outlandish words!" Sarly cried, turning towards her with feigned sympathy. "Yinn, sweetie. You used to be docile and understanding. We wanted you to grow up that way. What happened to you?"

"That Yinn Naron is dead." Yinn's voice was shaking as she glared at the woman. "You killed her."

Outraged by her words, Sarly impulsively raised her arm over her head. As she was about to struck down on the brown-haired girl, her action halted in midair as someone harshly grabbed onto her wrist.

"That's strange... Last time I checked, this was a Bangtan-hosted banquet."

His sharp eyes were partly concealed by strands of his silver hair as Jimin precociously eyed the two individuals up and down.

"So what are dogs doing here?"

Ignoring the woman's stunned expression, Jimin recalled his conversation with Clarity earlier in the main hall. The short-haired girl had came to him after realizing that Yinn Naron was nowhere to be seen. He had agreed to help find her while Clarity and Taehyung continued with the plan.

Thankfully, he heard her this time.

"Y-you...!" At his provocative tone, Dorian, fuming with embarrassment, stepped forward in an attempt to throw a punch, only to stop immediately as he noticed the row of guards standing behind the two men.

His face visibly paled as one of bodyguards tug on the firearm by his waist, removing the magazine with a flick. While Dorian was sweating profusely, Sarly had already slumped onto the floor, fear coiling around her throat like a serpent.

"The management team really did not do a good job selecting our guests." Seokjin shook his head ruefully. "Jimin-ssi, what do you think we should do with them?"

"Miss Clarity said this once—an eye for an eye makes the world blind." Jimin slightly frowned as he recalled the short-haired girl's words of integrity.

At his statement, the two people on the ground exhaled in relief, thinking that they were going to be spared. It was then they noticed the silver-haired man's odd smile.

"Miss Clarity is able to say that because she's a nice person, but..." Jimin's smile faded as he fixed his eyes on them. "In my opinion, the world is better off blind if all it sees are people like you."

"Y-you can't do anything to us. What you're doing is...illegal!" Sarly stuttered, her eyes shaking frantically at the people before her.

Hearing her threat, Seokjin only let out a laugh. "Illegal? You're talking about legality with me? Why didn't you think about the laws when you sold off your own daughter to the underground?"

"Do not waste your time with them, Mr. Kim." Yinn said, averting her gaze with a bitter smile. "They're not worth it."

"You're right, Miss Yinn." Jimin stepped forward, ruffling her hair slightly as he put his hand on her head. "Come to think of it..."

Sarly and Dorian's eyes followed his gaze, which shifted from their position to the wine-red carpet beneath them. The corner of his lips upturned a few degrees.

"With this colour, no one would be able to tell if the carpet was stained in blood, right?"

At the silver-haired man's words, Sarly's eyes rolled back to her head as she fainted on the spot. Before Dorian could even react to his wife's unconsciousness, his body went limp as one of the guards landed a clean hit on the back of his neck, knocking him out immediately.

"As expected from Senyu's people. They really have no tact." Seokjin sighed softly before flicking his hand forward. At his gesture, the guards swiftly moved past them, disappearing into the darkness with the two unconscious bodies.

When only the three of them were left in the empty hallway, and Seokjin turned towards the brown haired girl apprehensively. "Are you okay?"

"I'm-" Frankly, Yinn had been containing her emotions pretty well until now, but after hearing his question, the barrage of tears just came rushing though as she sunk to the ground with a sob. "I'm o-okay..."

Seokjin and Jimin exchanged gazes with each other, grimacing at the girl who did not look even close to being 'okay'.

"Miss Yinn," Jimin crouched beside her, gently patting her back. "You did well."

"Stop crying, will you?" Seokjin ran a hand through his hair in annoyance, but his voice was soft. "The carpet may not show blood, but tears are a different story."

At his blunt words, Yinn couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

After crying for a solid five minutes, the brown haired girl managed to pull herself together and left to fix herself up in the bathroom.

While waiting for her, Jimin and Seokjin briefly discussed the current progression of the plan.

"I talked to Senyu's old man," Seokjin said, leaning by the wall with crossed arms. "It seems that he didn't suspect anything yet."

"Namjoon said there's nothing unusual on his end, either." Jimin casted his gazed towards the main hall. "Miss Clarity, Taehyung, and Yoongi should have met up by now. Seeing that there are no abnormality reports, there must have been no bombs in the hall."

He let out a small exhale.

"What a relief."

At that moment, a melodious sound came from Seokjin's blazer pocket, causing the two to stiffened on the spot. In preparation of the plan, each member was provided with an alternative phone specifically for communicating mission stages and progressions. Yet the ringtone just now was coming from Seokjin's personal device.

What's more, the call was from none other than [Bangtan Min Yoongi].

Subconsciously swallowing, the eldest brought the phone to his ears as he accepted the call.

"Hello?"

"We fucked up." There was a rare urgency in Yoongi's voice from across the line. Seokjin's eyes hardened as he listened to the hacker who was recounting things all at once, fumbling over his words and voice shaking.

Listing in from beside him, Jimin's expression turned grave at the hacker's current state. Yoongi was never someone who easily succumbed to panic. 

"Min Yoongi." Seokjin interrupted the hacker with a cold voice. "Calm down and tell me what happened. Slowly."

There was a pause on the other side, causing both Seokjin and Jimin to hold their breath.

"It's Clarity." It was a new speaker. Taehyung's deep voice delivered itself with a cold fury.

"Senyu took her as hostage."

 _Thud_.

Yinn, who just came out from the washroom, dropped her bag at the news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> frankly, i struggled quite a bit to find the best way to deliver yinn's emotions in the confrontation. hopefully it turned out alright 
> 
> next update will be one Wednesday instead of tmrw because semester 2 for school is starting ㅠㅠ


	35. Promise

"This is the last room, right?"

With a sensor in his hand, Yoongi discreetly made his way into the final room on the list. Clarity and Taehyung followed right behind him. Ensuring that the room was empty, they entered the darkness.

"Anything?" Namjoon's voice echoed in their earpiece as the light-haired man scanned the area.

After a thorough examination, Yoongi deemed the area clear with a gesture of his hand. At his action, both Clarity and Taehyung exhaled with relief.

"It looks like the bomb incident did not repeat itself in this world." Clarity felt her heart rate return to normal as a huge burden was lifted off her shoulders. She turned to Taehyung and exchanged a smile of reassurance.

Fortunately, the rooms which were marked with bombs in To Be His Possession were safe after the group had performed a final examination. With this part of the plan cleared, all that was left was to quietly rejoin the banquet and wait for the transaction between Senyu and Orin to be completed. 

"RM. How is it going on your end?" Yoongi spoke into the air, and a voice responded within his earpiece.

"Ahem, ahem. Jungkook here." The youngest eagerly spoke up, his excitement seeping through like expanding bubbles. "We're currently waiting for Senyu and Orin to arrive at the destination. Cameras are hidden inside the conference room. Oh, don't worry. They're in very discreet locations, so they won't be able to notice easily."

"Who let the youngest join the surveillance team?" Taehyung asked bluntly.

"Yah. You're only a bit older. Don't act all mature in front of me," Jungkook retorted.

Yoongi recalled Jungkook's persistence on being on the same team as Namjoon and internally sighed. He thought their younger members were truly amazing, quarrelling at a time like this.

"Why not? It's a good opportunity for him to gain experience beyond the front lines." Namjoon's replied eloquently, and at his response, Clarity could almost feel Jungkook's bunny-grin through the phone. "Anyway, things are good here. You should all rejoin Seokjin and the others. Jungkook and I will keep you updated on the transaction."

At the Strategist's words, Clarity exchanged a nod with Yoongi and Taehyung before they exited the room, silently closing the door behind them.

As the leader and sub-leader of this plan, Namjoon and Yoongi have placed surveillance cameras both inside the conference room and in front of the entrance, so the latter would be able monitor the situation at all time. 

As the group was about to head to the main hall, Namjoon's voice suddenly returned in their ears.

"They're here."

"Already?" Clarity blinked at the sudden progression.

"Wait. Something's off." There was a pause in his voice and Jungkook took over the line. "It looks like there's only one person? They're carrying a brief case with them."

_What?_

An ominous feeling suddenly arose in Clarity as she looked over Yoongi with concern. The light haired man had an annoyed expression on his face as he tossed the sensor into Taehyung's hands and stood up.

"I'm heading over," he spoke into the earpiece. "There's only one of them, right?"

"Yeah. He just disappeared from the camera view in the entrance area. He is now in Room 613." Namjoon replied.

Hearing that, Suga turned towards Clarity and Taehyung. "It looks like there's an information leak."

Ignoring their stiffened reactions, he continued. "Someone else seems to hate Senyu as much as we do. So much for him to be setting up a bomb in the transaction room."

"He's not a part of neither groups?" Clarity asked and Yoongi shook his head.

"Doesn't looks like it. But we don't have any information on this one, so we can't be sure. Either way, I have to detonate the bomb before people from Senyu and Orin get there, or else things will get messy."

"We'll help," Taehyung said while Clarity nodded in agreement.

Giving a quick nod in response, Yoongi rolled up his sleeves and glanced towards the far end of the corridor. Right now, they were on the second floor, right below Room 613 that was on the third floor. Without making a sound, the three passed the empty corridors.

When they reached the hallway of the conference room, Yoongi signalled with his hand for them to move to the walls. He spoke in hushed tone.

"The situation?"

"Jungkook here," the youngest's voice immediately replied in his ear piece. "Intruder is in the third room to the left. It's dark inside so we can't get a proper view of the situation, but it looks like he's lowering the briefcase in his hand!"

"V." Yoongi turned to the raven-haired man beside him. "When I give the signal, you're going to go in and restrain the target. Don't kill him. Just render him immobile. We'll need to interrogate him for information later. While you're doing that, I'll go and detonate the bomb. We don't know what will trigger its activation, so we need to act cautiously."

Seeing Taehyung's nod, Yoongi placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze. "Let's go."

"Wait, what about me?" Clarity asked, pointing towards herself.

"Stay here, and notify us immediately if there are people approaching." Yoongi's eyes were darkened with weary, but his alert gaze showed the gravity of the situation. "You can do that, right?"

"Clarity. Be careful. Let us know immediately if anything happens outside the room." Taehyung's dark eyes peered into hers, and she nodded in response.

At Yoongi's signal, Taehyung bashed opened the door with a single kick. The sudden noise caused the intruder to instinctively spin around, only to be confronted by the black-haired man's fist which sunk into his face, knocking him onto the ground.

The room was consumed in darkness, but that did not affect Taehyung's agile movements. Before the intruder could even react, he had pinned him down, pressing his knee on the man's back, which was unusually sturdy. Swiftly, he twisted both of his arms backwards so that even the slightest movement would cause extreme pain.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Yoongi slid past the two, snatching the briefcase out of the intruder's hands. Snapping it open, he quickly examined its insides, only to realize that it was empty. At that moment, he noticed the intruder's gaze fall on the table by the window.

Without a moment of hesitation, he pulled himself under the table and saw something taped beneath the wooden surface.

However, it wasn't a bomb.

It was a jamming device.

"Namjoon!" Yoongi spoke into his ear piece, only for there to be no response. The connection was disrupted in the room.

A surge of anxiety arose in the light haired man as he realized what that meant. If the jamming device was always under the table, that meant the cameras placed in the room were useless from the beginning. They were being fed fake footage from the start of the banquet.

"Fuck!" Yoongi urgently turned to Taehyung after ascertain his thoughts. "Taehyung, call Clarity right now. She needs to tell Seokjin to evacuate everyone. The plan has failed. We're all in danger."

Taehyung's eyes widened at his pressing tone, but did not ask any questions. He was about to head to the doors when it suddenly slammed open by itself, revealing a shaking Clarity.

"Namjoon said he suddenly lost connection with all of you! What's going on?!" A drop of sweat slid down her forehead as she glanced around the room.

"Clarity, don't come any closer! Go find Seokjin right now," Taehyung yelled, causing the short-haired girl to freeze on the spot.

However, it was too late.

At that moment, all the lights in the room lit up and the sudden burst of brightness caused them to momentarily lose their focus. Using the moment of wavering to his advantage, the intruder pushed past Taehyung's grip and lunged towards the exit to escape.

"Shit!" Yoongi swore as he and Taehyung simultaneously reached after him, but the intruder was faster. However, they had all forgotten about something.

There was someone waiting for him by the door.

"...What the fuck?" Clarity could feel the chills going up her back at the sight of the intruder who was scampering towards her with eyes full of hysteria. Without hesitation, she positioned herself forward, and using the momentum of his sprint, she overturned the man's body, smashing him onto the ground.

Taehyung and Yoongi stood with opened mouths as the man fell unconscious as he slumped before Clarity, who was staring down with disgust.

She lifted her head towards the two. "What's this guy? He looked like a total psycho just now."

_You weren't looking that normal, either._

The two shared this thought after seeing her frightful reflexes, but decided to swallow their words into their stomachs.

"Formidable. Truly formidable." At that moment, a low voice came from behind them, and all three turned around to see none other than Kevin, now Senyu's vice director. "It looks like Tara Lee has failed. She said you were dead."

A wave of apprehension was arising, but Clarity forced the feeling to the back of her head as she shot him a glare.

Seemingly amused by her reaction, Kevin made a quick gesture with his head, and seconds later, the three of them were surrounded by Senyu's men.

"The boss already left the banquet. He had no plans of performing a transaction amidst the enemy's base, after all. You really think we didn't know what you were planning?" A sneer was on his face as Kevin leisurely strolled around the room. "I'll give you all a chance."

He pointed towards Clarity, whose foot was still on the unconscious intruder.

"Give me the secretary, and I won't blow up the place."

"Senyu's people must all have a habit of spewing bullshit," Yoongi scoffed, eyes cold with malice.

"Did you know? She is on top of the boss's wanted list," Kevin casualty stated, and Clarity's eyes widened at this information.

She was _what_ now?

She knew that Senyu was aware of her existence. It would be strange for them to not to after everything she's taken part in. However, for her to be on the leader's wanted list when she had never seen him once?

From the corner of her eye, Clarity could see a slight shift in Taehyung's movement. He was about to make a move when Kevin suddenly pulled out a controller from his inner pocket.

"Do you know what this is?" He waved around the controller like it was a toy. "If I press the button, then this room goes boom."

"Do you take us for fools? There aren't any bombs here-" Yoongi's eyes widened as he spun his head towards the unconscious man by the entrance. "Clarity. Step back from him."

From his stiff voice, Clarity realized something was wrong.

"As expected from Bangtan's second brain. As you know, bombs are quite useful but they can be a pain to transport," Kevin said with a voice that was almost like a laugh. "Humans, in fact, are excellent bomb carriers."

At his words, Clarity quickly ripped open the unconscious man's black suit, only to see his whole body tied with explosives, its red lights flickering ominously like lurking eyes in the darkness.

"You insane bastard," Yoongi laughed coldly, even though the situation was not amusing in the slightest bit. His mind was frantically coming up with possible solutions for this situation.

They had assumed the intruder was a third party since there was no way someone would want to screw up their own company's plan, but now he understood. Senyu had never planned to take part in the transaction in the first place. They were going to backstab Orin while blaming everything on Bangtan Co.

But to think they would find a suicide bomber?

_He's insane._

Clarity's blood ran cold after seeing Kevin's blood-thirsty eyes. Cautiously, she stepped away from the unconscious body, only to be grabbed by the arms by two men bend her. The moment they held her, however, the two men were knocked onto the ground by Taehyung, who had moved in front of her in an instant.

"Don't touch her," Taehyung's voice was dangerously low as he pushed Clarity behind him.

"Oh, I won't touch her. The secretary is Bangtan's treasure, after all." Kevin mocked, eyes curled upwards with a distorted smile. "But I can't say the same for the bomb in the room."

Her back covered in a cold sweat, Clarity found it difficult to breath as she glanced around the room. Other than Taehyung, Yoongi, and herself, everyone else in the room were from Senyu. Kevin was planning to kill them at the expense of his own people, including himself.

No, it was beyond that.

Not only those in the room, but if the bomb activated, the entire banquet hall would probably go down in shambles.

"He's lost it," Taehyung said coldly beside her.

The plan was crafted on the premise that Senyu followed the same business mindset as Seokjin, and that their actions would ultimately be driven by personal incentives. However, they had miscalculated.

Just because Senyu's CEO was rational minded, it did not mean his subordinates were the same.

"All for the boss's goals. No, for my revenge." Kevin was laughing deliriously, before suddenly contorting to a stoic expression. "Now then, what will you do? Clarity Moon. You can choose to come with us, or you can resist and have everyone in the building killed. The choice is yours."

"Fuck off." Yoongi said before turning to the short haired girl. "Clarity. Don't listen to him. There is a way out of this."

Just as he finished his sentence, Yoongi had curled forward in pain as he was socked in the stomach by Kevin. A gasp escaped from Clarity's mouth as she watched the man fall onto one knee, coughing hoarsely.

"But is there really?" Kevin sang, wiggling the controller in his hand. "I mean, there is. A way out of this, I mean. Except, that way happens to lead to the afterlife."

Clarity bit down on her lips with a scowl. She knew that the light-haired hacker was able to fight back, yet he did not do that. It was because Yoongi knew that Kevin was not right in the head. If he ended up pressing on the controller amidst the chaos, and it would be game over for everyone. Taehyung was also aware of this, which was why despite the pure hatred in his eyes, the raven haired man could not make a move.

As Kevin was going to go in for another kick, Clarity spoke up frantically. "S-stop! Don't hurt him anymore. I'll go with you."

"Yah, what are you saying?!" Yoongi said through gritted teeth, still clenching his stomach.

In the past, Suga had always planned missions with the members' safety as priority. It was his fault for underestimating their opponent, for allowing the situation to progress into something like this.

If he knew this would happen, Yoongi would have never allowed the two to follow him into this room. He turned to Kevin with a glare.

"Just take me if you want a hostage, crazy bastard. You already kicked me once anyways."

"No. I'll go in their stead," Taehyung suddenly stepped up. Clarity eyes widened at their words.

"The Variable and Suga. Do not take us for fools. We're aware of your combat abilities. We're aware of all of Bangtan's member's capabilities," Kevin sneered before turning towards Clarity. "It has to be you. Would you let everyone die, or would you step up to be the main character of this show?"

_Step up to be the_ what _now?_

Clarity was baffled by his nonsensical words. From the corner of her eye, Yoongi was shaking his head towards her, as if telling her to calm the fuck down and use her brain.

She then felt Taehyung's icy hands grab on to her. There was an unprecedented sense of exasperation in his eyes as he stared at her almost pleadingly. Despite her chest tightening at their actions, she could only shake her head in response. Slowly moving away from the Taehyung who was standing in front of her, Clarity took his large hands in hers.

She gave them a small squeeze.

And let go.

Up until now, everything she had done was for her survival. She did everything she could to overcome her death flags, to survive in this hell of a world. She was not a good person in her old world, and that remained the same even here. However...

Clarity looked at the two members with a small smile.

She now had more people to worry about other than herself.

"Clarity." Taehyung's deep voice had dropped a fragile whisper. "Don't go."

"Taehyung, do you remember what we discussed the other day?" She looked at him with a clear gaze. It reminded him of the same eyes she had on the balcony that night. "I trust you. So you should trust me, too."

_Main character? What bullshit._

Main characters were either saints or self-sacrificing dumbasses. Clarity was neither. She was not going to sacrifice herself, nor was she going to go along with Senyu's plans.

As Clarity was taken away by the guards, she tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ears, revealing her helix earring that glistened like a star in the dark room. Reflected in Taehyung's desperate eyes was her look of conviction.

"I will not break my promise."


	36. Twists and Turns

The door to Room 613 flew open with Hoseok's side kick.

Behind him were Seokjin, Jimin and Yinn, and right around the corner was Namjoon and Jungkook, who rushed here right after the communication line had been cut off.

The six of them faced the two members in the room, amidst an air of solitude. Yoongi was slumped against the wall, his clenched fist slammed on the ground with whitening knuckles. With head dropped forward, his light hair covered most of his face, but even that couldn't hide his grim expression.

On the other side of the room was Taehyung with his back facing the entrance. He glanced towards the moonlit sky. Even though it was covered in stars, none of them reached his eyes which were dark like obsidian.

When he noticed the members standing by the entrance, Taehyung did not speak. Instead, he merely looked towards them with a distant gaze. 

As if there was a wall between them.

"Get a grip of yourselves." Seokjin's voice was emotionless as he spoke to the two members.

Rather than words of comfort, what they needed now was cold rationality.

"Kim Taehyung. Min Yoongi." He said again, and this time, they lifted their heads. Without waiting for them to reply, he pulled out a document that Namjoon had handed to him before coming here.

Despite Seokjin's calm demeanour, there was a fire in his eyes. It held an intense rage shared by everyone present in this room.

"The plan goes on."

* * *

The building was currently empty.

Thanks to Yoongi and Namjoon's warning, Seokjin had promptly notified the guards of the situation, and they were able to empty out the building without anyone getting injured. After realizing that Senyu had stabbed them in the back, people from Orin managed to escape the scene with the transaction document by taking advantage of the chaotic evacuations.

Aside from the suicide bomber in Room 613, the guards also found two others from Senyu lurking around the building and restrained them immediately. As a result, people in Bangtan Co. were currently working to draft a report on Senyu's partake of a potential terrorist attack.

The night ended up being a mess. Mountains of documents and papers were waiting for Seokjin back in his office, but he did not have time for them.

Right now, there was another pressing matter at hand.

Tension dawned upon the conference room as the members of the Bangtan household sat around the long table.

"We have a plan," Namjoon said, exchanging a quick glance with the eldest before continuing on. "We were able to locate Senyu's real base from Tara Lee, along with the building layout, both of which I have reaffirmed their validity."

"Would Clarity really be there, though?" Yinn asked apprehensively.

"If there is anywhere Senyu would go to after taking a hostage, it would be there," Namjoon replied.

Taehyung, who had been eerily quiet until now, stood up. He turned towards the light haired man by the corner, who had buried in his face behind the computer screen for the entirety of the discussion.

"Suga. Did you find it?"

His stoic voice was coated with ice, and Yoongi lifted his head up from the screen. At the hacker's nod, Taehyung's mind flashed back to a conversation they had a while ago. It was after Clarity's encounter with the assassins in the woods.

The raven haired man had asked Yoongi to create a discreet tracking device to prevent similar things from happening in the future. It had to be effective, yet inconspicuous.

Something mundane, yet easy to maneuver.

He recalled Clarity's words before she was taken away. He recalled the determination in her eyes, and her intentionally action of tucking her hair. At that moment, they had exchanged a meaningful piece of information without anyone else knowing.

He recalled the sparkling jewellery on her ear.

"I've activated the tracker on her earring." Yoongi looked at the red dot that was moving on the map. It was from the micro-sized tracker he installed into an earring that Taehyung had given to Clarity.

Originally, the tracker was only there for precaution sake, but to think it would come into use so quickly

Eyeing the moving dot, he then turned towards Namjoon. "Your deductions were right. They are currently on their way towards the base."

"Then that settles it. Yoongi, Taehyung, Hoseok and Jungkook. You four will head to their base and rescue Clarity," Seokjin said, "meanwhile, the rest of us will remain and take care of things first here. Once we do that, we will go and meet up with you."

As much as Seokjin wanted to participate in Clarity's rescue, he knew better than anyone his responsibilities.

Bangtan Corporation had thousands of employees, almost all of which participated in the planning of this banquet. Although most of them did not know the true intention of this event, they nonetheless gave it their all in fulfilling their own roles.

All of these people were currently in danger.

Although the evacuation was successful, the fact that Senyu had planted suicide bombers around the area meant they knew the building's true layout and did not fall for the fake blueprint. To be aware of these details, they must have also researched the staffs and attendees, perhaps even guests who were unaffiliated with Bangtan Co.

The biggest problem right now was time.

Although Bangtan's legal sector were working towards filing a report on Senyu's exposure, it would take time for the request to be approved. After hearing about the crazy vice director, Seokjin knew they could no longer look at Senyu with a rational mindset.

He had to be on guard for anything during this period of waiting.

The company was in a mess, and someone had to maintain order and lead them out of this situation. That someone had to be Kim Seokjin, the CEO of Bangtan Co.

Thousands of employees were waiting for his commands back at Bangtan Co. 

He had to take responsibility as the leader for bringing them into this situation.

"We will not lose." His firm voice echoed throughout the room, and all heads lifted at his words. As usual, Seokjin was speaking calmly, but there was a certain sternness in the voice that instigated a storm in everyone's hearts.

"Bangtan will not lose."

At that moment, something in the air changed. Glancing around the room, Yinn saw the members' stern expressions soften into ones with burning tenacity.

"Of course we won't." Taehyung looked up, and his unwavering gaze embodied everyone's shared determination.

"Those bastards are not going to see tomorrow's sunrise."

* * *

Darkness.

That was the only thing in Clarity's vision for a long time. 

After she was captured, Senyu had thrown her into an enclosed room and left her there since.

There was nothing in the room except for a bed and a washroom, which only became discernible after Clarity's eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Occasionally, she found simple meals the guards had slipped in from the door. They were weird tasting bread and white porridge, but she really wasn't in the position to complain.

Other than that, there had been no interactions or conversations of any sort.

It was hard to maintain her sense of time in this suffocating space, but Clarity knew around two days have passed since her kidnapping. The guards would visit her a total of twice a day with food. Right now, she was on her fifth meal when the door suddenly flew open.

Three masked bodyguards stood in front of the door. Without giving her time to react, one of them grabbed her arm, yanking her off the ground. Before she knew it, a blindfold was tied around her eyes, engulfing her vision with darkness.

Feeling the rough fabric on her eyes and the rope tied around her wrists, Clarity remained silent as she allowed herself to be led by the guards around her out of the imprisonment room, going into another unknown area.

She heard a ringing tone in front of her, followed by the mechanical sound of doors. An elevator.

A guard pushed her from behind, causing Clarity to tumble into the enclosed space. The guard punched in a floor number and the door slid close.

There was a long silence as the elevator rose. The ride was abnormally long, insinuating a ride to the top floor. The elevator was inundated in a daunting silence as they waited, allowing several thoughts to surface in Clarity's head.

There was a question that constantly tugged her mind ever since her arrival in this world.

_Why?_

Out of everyone who read the fanfiction, why was she the one who had transmigrated?

And from that question arose a more fundamental thought.

How did her transmigration happen?

She read countless web novels with a protagonist who was from another world, but none of those books explained the foundational causes behind their transmigration. Was it truly enough to say that she was in the right place at the right time, or that she was caught up in this situation from pure coincidence?

The rising sensation suddenly came to a halt as a smooth pulling sound stretched before her. Next thing she knew, she was stepping from the elevator room onto the solid ground. Although weary about not knowing where she was going, she had to comply regardless.

After awhile of walking, they crossed another pair of automatic doors and Clarity was met with a gust of wind that bursted towards her direction, causing her shoulder-length hair to fly into the air. The violent wind wheezed by her ears as she ventured forward, held by two guards who pulled her to a chair. It was only when she sat down that they loosened her blindfold.

Her heart jolted as she felt one of the guard's hand graze over her left ear, shifting the position of her helix earring. Indiscernibly tilting her head, she felt the jewellery by her ear. Only after she made sure the tracker was in place did she let out an indiscernible sigh.

The blindfold fell to the ground, and Clarity's eyes fluttered open as she tried to focus her vision despite the gust blowing into her eyes.

What confronted her was a sea of lights. She was on top of a building, with the night-lit city right under her. With her feet and hands tied, all she could do was glance down at the terrifying view on the edge of her seat. Although she was not acrophobic, this was still enough to instigate a churning sensation in her stomach.

A chill went down her spine as Clarity subconsciously imagined how it would feel to fall off from this height.

Swallowing tensely, she discreetly turned her head, sweeping her eyes around the area. There were around five guards, it was less than she had expected. Were they armed?

Before she could get a better look, a guards with black hair came up from behind. He turned her chair the other way so that her back was to the scenery.

Without giving her a glance, he made a signal to another guard, who immediately brought over a tripod with a camera stacked on top of it. Clarity blinked twice at their actions, her brain frantically piecing together the situation.

Were they going to make her film a ransom video? Was Senyu in need of money or something?

_I'm supposed to be a nameless secretary..._

Clarity internally sighed at the puzzling situation.

After everything was set up, the guard with black hair approached her and ripped of the tape on her mouth. The crass action caused Clarity to grimace as her lips throbbed in pain. Shooting the man a dirty glare, she turned her head away from their direction. As much as she wanted to cuss at them with years worth of insults, this wasn't the time. Clarity had to buy time for the members to come. She was sure they were on their way.

So instead, she asked them a question.

"What is this for?" She gestured to the camera on the tripod with her eyes, only to pout after receiving no response.

"You guys shouldn't be doing this. This is considered villainous acts," she stated, "Bad guys can never reach happy endings. Trust me. Leave while you still can."

As Clarity was about to bother them with another question, all five guards suddenly stiffened their posture, lowering into a bow simultaneously.

"N-no need for such formalities!" she shook her head, only to realize that the bows were not directed towards her.

From a distance away, rows of people dressed in black emerged from the entrance. Amidst all those bodies was Senyu's CEO, whose face was covered by all his subordinates standing before him like towers, filling her vision with a sea of heads.

A scene straight out of a horror movie.

"Quit the secrecy. This isn't a game of mafia," Clarity threw a sarcastic remark to calm her nerves, only to then notice the irony in her words.

At her statement, there was a shuffle within the rows of people. Those in the middle started to move sideways, slowly opening up a path towards the center. Watching the men in black shift one after another but the boss still nowhere to be seen, Clarity couldn't help but question their leader's height.

When the rows of people completely dispersed, there was only one person left in the middle.

For the first time, she could get a clear look at the face of Senyu's leader.

At that moment, the strength of the whirlwind around them intensified, reflecting the chaotic state of Clarity's heart. The bricked floor beneath her started to spin, merging with the murkiness of the sky.

"What the fuck?"

Despite the profanity coming out of her mouth, the leader of Senyu remained stoic. With his stubby finger, he pushed his glasses up with the bridge of his nose.

"Clarity Moon." His familiar voice carry itself from the wind into her ears, inciting a memory from her past life.

In her old world, the members of Bangtan Co were known as BTS. They debuted under Big Hit Entertainment on June 13, 2013, but prior to their debut, the members were gathered by the CEO of Big Hit and spent years training up until the special day.

Thanks to BTS, the company was able to grow exponentially, and thanks to the CEO, BTS was able to pursue their dreams, becoming the inspiring people they were today.

"Hah... So this was who you are in this world." Clarity let out a self-deprecating laugh as she met the eyes of the founder of BigHit Entertainment.

"Bang Si-Hyuk."

She should've known that this world was never going to give her a break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOL anyone expected this plot twist??  
> don't worry though this is not just for crackhead.. everything happens for a reason!  
> look forward to the next chapter :)


	37. Surprise

_Ringggg!_

_Ring-_

Seokjin swiftly put the phone to his ear, cutting the sound off at its second ring.

"Hello, Manager Lee. Direct the PR sector to handle the press. Tell them it was an unknown force, there's need to heed to their insistence."

"Yes, Ms. Kang. Please bring the reports to my office once they're ready."

"Are the files towards Senyu still not approved? No, that is alright. Keep updated on the progress."

"Other companies are asking about the situation? Only give them the most basic information. Their worries are only on the superficial level, after all."

Yinn and Jimin silently sat on the couch in Seokjin's office as they watched the eldest answer one call after another, his face buried behind the stacks of documents on his table.

There was curt knock to his door, followed by a woman who hurried in with another handful of documents. She quickly bowed before sliding them onto the little space left on the table.

"This is the check-in record of all of the employees in Bangtan Co. No one is missing." Her eyes were dulled with fatigue, and her once coiled bun was in a disheveled state.

After skimming over the papers, Seokjin lifted his gaze from his desk. "Thank you, Ms. Kang, you've done plenty for Bangtan. Please go home and rest for the day."

"I simply can not do that, CEO Kim. I've worked at the company for four years now, and have been through all kinds of ups and downs. I will do my best to make sure that we surmount this obstacle without fail, as we have done in the past!"

"...Alright." At her enthusiasm, Seokjin did not press further. Instead, he gave her a polite smile. "Thank you."

"All my coworkers share the same sentiments as I do, so please leave things to us!" She bowed ninety degrees before hastening out the door.

Yinn, who had been listening in on the woman's aspiring attitude, sighed softly as she watched her back disappear into the corridors.

A day have passed since the other members left the company to search for Senyu's base. In the first twelve hours, they had kept in touch by phone, but there haven't been a single message or call since then.

During this time, Seokjin had worked without a break, dealing with documents after documents, one meeting after another. The usual Seokjin would have complained with a dramatic melancholy at his workload, but not this time, and Yinn knew why. The man's expression retained its usual calmness, but his dark eyes were filled with an unprecedented fragility it wouldn't be surprising for him to collapse right there.

Eyes glued to the paper in his hand, Seokjin reached for his cup of coffee, only to realize it was empty. At his actions, Yinn quickly shot up.

"I'll go bring you a new one!" she said.

Seokjin blinked twice. "You don't have to do that, Miss Naron."

"It's okay. I want to help in any way I can!" Yinn said before making her way to the coffee machine.

Soon, a steaming cup of black coffee was served before Seokjin's eyes. Casting his gaze onto the rising steam vapour, Seokjin subconsciously tapped his fingers on the table before smiling at the nervous-looking girl standing before him. "Thank you."

"Do you want milk? Sugar?"

"No, this is fine."

Without another word, the dark haired man refocused his attention to the mountains of papers. At his response, Yinn nodded and returned to the couch. As she anxiously shifted in her seat, she peered towards Jimin, who was postured forward on the couch, his arms rested on his legs as he clasped his hands together, deep in thought.

"If only the inspection approval process could come faster..." Jimin muttered after seeing Seokjin's preoccupied state. "Orin escaped with the documents as well, so we're missing the evidence of Senyu and Orin's relationship. We need more evidence to completely restrain them from pulling something again."

At his words, something suddenly clicked in Yinn's head.

"Evidence for their relationship..." She muttered to herself. "Ah!"

Her exclamation caused the two men to simultaneously turn towards her.

"What's wrong?" Jimin blinked at her odd expression, only to see her frantically shove her hand in her bag.

After a few seconds of searching, the brown-haired girl pulled out her phone. Her eyes flickered as she swept her gaze across the two men with anticipation.

"I think I may have something."

At first glance, Yinn Naron was someone who could blend perfectly into the background.

She had a way of unintentionally making people drop their guards around her. This was her greatest advantage.

This was exactly the case at the banquet. She had been in cooling down in the washroom stall after her confrontation. As she was exiting the washroom, she had noticed two people huddling in a discreet corner near the entrance.

Despite noticing her presence, the two paid her no attention as they continued their conversation.

Little did they know that their entire conversation was recorded.

Of course, she had not done it on purpose. In fact, it was because Yinn had forgotten her phone by the washroom mirror and only realized it when she was about to leave.

Ever since the incident with Tara Lee, Yinn had developed a habit of documenting her everyday conversations in case similar things happened. It was only after the two left that she had returned to fetch her phone, unaware that the device had everything recorded.

The outburst of events left everything in a frenzied state, and Yinn had forgotten all about this until now. Without further ado, she opened up the file on that day and pressed on the play button.

_— The transaction with Orin is cancelled? Even though we brought all the stuff?_

_— Kevin says so. It's a shame we came here all the way for nothing._

_— Oh, but it's not for nothing. I smuggled a pack for our team. They won't be able to notice one pack missing among all of those, anyway._

_— Heh. You smart bastard._

"This..."

Jimin's eyes widened at contents of the recording that echoed throughout the room. Seokjin, who had stopped looking at the papers, was also listening with a stunned expression.

— _Where did you hide the drug?_

_— Top of the stall to the left. We can fetch it later after this whole thing is finished, to have some fun with it._

The entire discussion between the two Senyu was on the transaction between Orin and Senyu, with names, plans, and all other relevant information mercilessly exposed.

The recording ended, leaving the office in silence.

Staring at each other dumbly from across the room, Seokjin and Jimin were speechless for the longest time before the former turned towards the brown-haired girl.

"...Is the recording helpful?" She subconsciously lowered her eyes after seeing his piercing gaze. "I-I don't remember their faces because I was on the other side of the entrance. Sorry I can't be much help in identifying them."

Assuming their silence as an indication of disappointment, Yinn quickly added to her statement.

"But I remember that they weren't wearing gloves! If they touched the packets like that, maybe we can find out their identity by searching the locations they mentioned in the recording."

"...You have done something amazing." Jimin said, pressing his palm to his forehead with a breathy laugh.

If the information in the recording was accurate, this would change things completely. Once Bangtan secures the drug packets mentioned by the two Senyu members in their conversation, they could collect their finger prints on the packets, have Namjoon match them with the registered identities in the underground database, and connect it back to Senyu.

"Miss Yinn Naron." Seokjin stood up from his arm chair, the moonlight shimmered an outline of his broad shoulders. "I'm taking a liking towards you."

"Jin- _hyung_? What are you saying?" Jimin instinctively stood up as well, flustered by the eldest's statement.

"P-pardon me?" Yinn blinked in surprise.

Ignoring their bewildered looks, Seokjin pressed both of his palms onto the table, an ominous smile on his face.

Operation Code V wasn't over yet.

* * *

"I gave you all my money, but now you're pulling this bullshit?"

Despite the dumbfounded expressions on the subordinates' faces, Clarity continued to blurt out blatant hostilities towards the short man standing before her.

When she was still a university student, Clarity had worked multiple part time jobs day and night in order to support her self. Even amidst the harsh circumstances, however, she had managed to save money to buy an album every BTS comeback. She had felt it was only right for her to support the seven boys who had saved her so many times from falling into despair. She had also felt an immense trust Bang PD, who had helped the boys become who they were today.

But now Bang PD was trying to kill her?

She glared at the short man standing before her.

"Do you know how many of my wallets you sucked dry? I will not take this betrayal."

She knew that this Bang Si-Hyuk was different from the Bang PD in her old world, but Clarity kept going with her rant. It was partly because she felt petty, but also because she needed to buy time. To her surprise, the CEO did not seem to be affected by her nonsense as he motioned one of his guards to come over. Due to their distance, Clarity couldn't hear the contents of their conversation, but she knew it was nothing good.

The guard started walking towards her direction, and Clarity subconsciously stiffened her back on the chair.

He postured her to face the camera, then unfolded a piece of paper before her eyes. 

"Read it in front of the camera," Bang Si-Hyuk said, "after all, this is going to be delivered to your wonderful members."

It really was a ransom. Clarity scrunched her face at the cliched words on the script as her head swelled up with thoughts of confusion.

There was no way that Senyu was simply doing this for money. It just did not make logical sense. Also, Clarity couldn't wrap her head around why it was her that was kidnapped. If it was because she was constantly getting in the way of their plans, Senyu could have killed her a long time ago, perhaps even back at the banquet. If they had blown up the building, they would be saving a lot more trouble.

Instead, Bang Si-Hyuk decided to capture her and gather the members to this location.

Her eyes narrowed at one of the sentences on the paper.

_[All seven of you must come. Without anyone else, but all seven of you.]_

What was Senyu planning?

After showing the paper to her face for close to a minute, the guard with black hair crumbled it up, tossing it to the side.

"Start filming," Bang Si-Hyuk instructed from behind as he sat in a lounge chair brought in by one of the bodyguards.

The black-haired guard adjusted his mask before repositioning the tripod so that the camera was directly towards her. There was an odd sensation in her heart as Clarity made eye contact with the man in black.

Under the illumination of the moonlight, his sharp eyes stood out despite being covered by the hair on his forehead. His face was concealed largely by the mask, but there was a tinge of familiarity in his unfamiliar features.

There was a tint of mischievous in his eyes that curled upwards at that moment, and Clarity immediately understood.

Sweeping his arm to the side, the black-haired bodyguard threw the tripod onto the ground while the camera flung into the air.

Riding on the momentum, the guard pulled something out of his pocket and smashed it onto the ground, filling the area with an explosion of dust and smoke. Overwhelmed by shock, the other guards barely had time to gather themselves before their vision was filled in a hazy grey.

One by one, they fell onto the ground.

"Taehyung!" Clarity shouted instinctively, sweeping her gaze to find the black-haired man, whose figure reduced to a dark silhouette in the distance amidst their blurred surroundings.

"Here." 

A deep voice replied from behind, and the ropes around her hands were loosened in an instant.

As she spun towards the familiar voice, a gas mask was looped over her head. Spinning her shoulders towards him, Taehyung gently caressed her cheeks, scrutinizing her features before pulling her into a tight embrace. Instinctively, she hugged him back, taking in his reassuring presence as a sour feeling tugged her nose. 

They remained like this for a few seconds, before Clarity was hit by a sudden realization.

"Wait. Taehyung?!" She leaned back, hands on his shoulders, face full of confusion. "If you're here..."

Without waiting for him to reply, she whipped her head towards the silhouette in the distance, towards the other person with black hair.

"Then who's that?"

The smoke grenade dispersed rather quickly due to the wind on the rooftop. Soon, the area around them cleared up, revealing the dozens of bodies that laid unconscious on the floor. One man stood amidst the scattered bodies.

As if responding to her question, the black-haired bodyguard lifted his hand to his head, and in the next moment, a black wig flew into the air, revealing his light-coloured hair.

From the corner of his vision, a hand belonging to a half-conscious guard reached towards him. The guard who had yet to faint was lunging towards the man with exasperation, only to be knocked mercilessly to the ground with a reversal kick to the temple.

Brassily pushing his hair out of the way, Yoongi's sharp eyes were full of animosity as they fixed onto the boss of Senyu, who remained in his lounge chair even amidst all this chaos.

"Suga chose to be a hacker because he didn't like physical combat." Taehyung spoke beside her, casting his gaze towards the light-haired man whose back seemed larger than usual under the night sky. "But that doesn't mean he is not good at it."

"Your turn," Yoongi said as he turned towards Bang Si-Hyuk.

Despite his calm voice, the man was in a foul mood after having allowed a kidnapping to happen right before him. Drawing his revolver from his holster, Yoongi lifted it towards Bang Si-Hyuk with cold eyes.

"Die."


	38. Author

"Die."

Despite his statement, however, Yoongi did not press the trigger.

It was because Taehyung had grabbed on to his wrist before he could do so.

"Suga." There was a tint of wariness in his deep voice as Taehyung looked towards him.

After a long silence, Yoongi lowered his hand that was holding the gun with a disapproving sigh.

"I know."

They had to keep Senyu's CEO alive in order to have him suffer the worst possible consequence.

Instant death was too easy of a punishment.

Despite the two members' vicious thoughts, Bang Si-Hyuk remained seated in his lounge chair, leaning on the backrest with with an odd expression.

Clarity couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows as she examined his unnatural smile, contorted on his face as if it was forcibly linked by his different facial features. It looked as if he was trying to suppress a look of joy, but at the same time pushing back an agonizing frown.

_What the hell?_

She was seriously weirded out by the CEO's current state.

It was even stranger seeing this coming from the man who was supposed to be the counterpart of Bang PD, the backbone of Big Hit Entertainment, the fatherly figure of the BTS members.

"We should retreat now," Taehyung said before casting the CEO a final glance. "Jungkook just sent in the message. The bombs are ready."

Clarity blinked twice at his words. At her reaction, the black-haired man flashed her an innocent smile.

"This place would soon explode."

"B-bombs?!"

The shocking information made her recall the past two days. If Yoongi had been under disguise as a Senyu guard along with Jungkook, it would make sense for them to have a grasp of the area and its floor outlines. However, she expected the members to copy the characteristics on a blueprint and use it to smack Senyu in the back later on—not to directly install bombs here!

"They started it," Yoongi said, shrugging with nonchalance like an obnoxious child. "They aimed to destroy the banquet hall, so shouldn't we return the favor?"

He thought back to the rough plan he had made with Hoseok, Taehyung, and Jungkook before coming here. Yoongi and Jungkook went under disguise as Senyu's bodyguards while Taehyung thoroughly scouted the area. Hoseok was their data center, their connection point with Seokjin's group.

During his two days of concealment in the Senyu headquarters, Yoongi had lingered around Clarity's imprisonment room under the request of Taehyung while obtaining information. As he did that, Jungkook went around installing bombs within different parts of the building. In fact, the explosives were the youngest's suggestion.

 _Don't be someone who takes a bomb without throwing two in return_.

Seokjin's philosophy was truly something.

Clarity shuddered as she recalled the man's words that had became a literal statement.

According to Yoongi, Jungkook and Hoseok would soon be here with a medium of escape, since they were trapped on the rooftop. Coming in from a different route would be Seokjin and the others, who proceeded with their plan immediately after securing the problems over at Bangtan Co.

The two separate groups would gather here, at Senyu's base.

Currently, the rooftop was a mess; all of Senyu's guards were knocked out unconscious. Using the power of physics, Taehyung had rendered the door to the rooftop as useless, temporarily preventing other guards from coming in. The only person left was the CEO, who had no ways of defending himself.

Everything was going according to plan.

The gusts of winds that had been raging all around them had dispersed, leaving the rooftop in an air of silence. There was a considerable distance between the three of them and the CEO, but Clarity couldn't ignore the prickling sensation in her stomach.

Something felt off.

Logically speaking, the current situation was extremely disadvantage for Bang Si-Hyuk, but he seemed to be unaffected as he quietly observed them from a distance. It was neither a look of acceptance or resignation. He was staring at them with a completely stoic gaze, as if he was separated from the situation, unaffected by its events.

As if he was watching a show.

Clarity's blatant scrutinization seemed to instigate something in him as the CEO snapped out of his pensive state and stood up. His sudden action causing both Yoongi and Taehyung to reflexively step in front of her, the latter pulling out his gun.

Contrary to the pressing tension between the them, Bang Si-Hyuk spoke slowly, enunciating his every word with an unnatural melancholy. His gaze swept past the two members, landing on the girl behind them.

"I was supposed to be in your place."

Clarity froze at his words. Something was definitely off.

"...Is this one also crazy?" Yoongi said beside her with a frown. He then narrowed his eyes towards the CEO. "Shut up if you don't want my hand slip on the trigger."

Bang Si-Hyuk simply shook his head. As if in a trance, he lifted his arm, slowing pointing towards the light-haired man with a complicated expression.

"Min Yoongi, also known as Suga. 174 centimetres in height, birthday is March 9th, 1993." The words flowed naturally out of his mouth it was like second nature, as if he had recited it thousands of times. "Other aliases include Gloss and Agust D. Rapper, composer, song-writer. Born in Daegu, joined BigHit at the age of seventeen, debuted under the Korean boy group, BTS."

Ignoring their blank looks, he continued.

"Favourite food is Korean food, favourite colour is black, favourite number is three, wanted to be a firefighter and basketball player when he was younger, has a dog named Holly, has a total of five piercings, does not like crowded places..."

"What nonsense is he on about?" Yoongi was glancing towards the mumbling CEO with a look of disgust.

While Yoongi was hit by confusion, Clarity was experiencing an unprecedented surge of fear as Bang Si-Hyuk's words replayed themselves in her ears like an ominous chant.

All the information he was spewing out—they weren't about this Yoongi.

They were about Min Yoongi in the other world, Suga from BTS.

"Don't let his words influence you." Before she knew it, Taehyung had covered her ears with his large hands, his gaze tinted with dangerous glint as he fixed his cold gaze towards the man across from them.

At his actions, Bang-Si-Hyuk was silent for a few seconds as his eyes softened with regret.

"Kim Taehyung, the Variable. You're cold-hearted and blunt, merciless and feared by all, at times even by the members themselves. At least, that was who you were supposed to be." His tone was completely placid as he spoke to the raven-haired man.

Even though the wind was howling all around them, Taehyung could make out every word coming out of the man's mouth like he was whispering right beside him. Bang Si-Hyuk looked into his eyes.

"That was supposed to be your character design."

Clarity's heart dropped in her stomach.

Her brain was a jumbled mess as she desperately tried to make sense of her situation. For him to know everything about the BTS members meant that Bang Si-Hyuk... no, that whoever was took possession of Bang Si-Hyuk's body was also a transmigrator, just like her. Furthermore, they were someone who knew the contents of _To Be His Possession._

Someone who knew each members' original character personas like the back of their palm.

"There is no way..." Clarity voice quivered as she subconsciously took a step back.

Bang Si-Hyuk's words caused the two members to also exchange a stunned look before glancing towards the short-haired girl. Sharing each other's thoughts, they recalled everything she had told the group about herself and where she came from.

About the fanfiction.

"Taehyung, Yoongi. You are like my children. Everyone in _To Be His Possession_ are my children." With the face of Bang Si-Hyuk, man's fond expression dropped the moment he made eye contact with the girl between them. "Except you."

Clarity gulped.

"You don't belong here."

Clarity's eyes shook as though she had a thousand questions swirling in her head, but she held back her compulsion. Instead, she steadied herself, directing her voice to the man across them. "Neither do you."

Despite the chaos in her heart, Clarity's voice was cold and firm.

"The author of _To Be His Possession_."

The short man smiled at her words. It was a contorted, hair-raising smile.


	39. Your Story, My Story

It was three months ago that Lune woke up in another world

The sky was still inundated in darkness, and in the unfamiliar setting, Lune's eyes shifted from left to right, taking in her surroundings. She was lying on a bed. It was a soft, spacious bed that did not she did not have the privilege to enjoy in her old life. Her fingers wiggled below, feeling the creases and silky fabric of the blanket beneath her.

Slowly, Lune pulled herself up in a sitting position, only to realize her body was abnormally heavy.

Illuminated by the dim moonlight, the room was beautifully appointed, furnished with cool-toned furnitures that barely took up any space due to the room's spacious setting.

The last thing she recalled before losing consciousness was the transmigration ritual. She had used her own book as a test sample, only for it to actually work!

As a fanfiction writer, Lune wrote countless self-insert stories where she could write herself into the place of Y/N. It wasn't a simple fantasy. No, it was more than that. Candles, incense, location—everything had to be in place for her creation.

People around her called her insane, but they simply did not understand. 

Lune was sure of it. For every story she wrote, she was getting closer to the BTS members.

Not only was she experiencing everything with them in her fanfictions, but she was also getting closer to them in real life. Their addresses, unreleased schedules, fly times—she knew everything about BTS.

Otherwise, how could she call herself a true fan?

One day, her feelings would reach them. She was sure of it. The successful transmigration was the ultimate proof of the innate connection between her and the seven men.

"I can't believe the ritual worked..." Lune muttered out in felicity, only to gasp at her voice that had fell octaves deeper.

Her eyes widened in horror.

It was a man's voice.

Panic rising within her, Lune touched her face frantically, only to feel the rough skin and stubs under her chin. Heart beat accelerating, she scrambled off the bed and dashed into the washroom. The sensory lights enabled under her heavy steps, and she faced the mirror, expecting to see a black-haired, hazel-eyed girl staring back at her.

She did not see that.

Instead, reflected in the mirror was a middle-aged man with short, black hair and eyes narrowed with fatigued.

Dazed, she touched her right cheek, and the man before her mirrored her action.

A wave of nausea hit her as Lune spun towards the toilet seat behind her, hurled over, and emptied her stomach.

* * *

A month had passed since Lune's transmigration.

After accepting the ritual's failure, she slowly grew accustomed to the life of Senyu's CEO, Bang Si-Hyuk. In the beginning, she could not stand seeing a face that was not her own, let alone one belonging to the antagonist. How was she supposed to get together with Seokjin when she was looking like this?!

As Lune thought about it, however, she realized it may not necessarily be a bad thing.

As the original final boss of the story, Bang Si-Hyuk had plenty of interactions with Kim Seokjin and the other members. Not to mention, the current Bang Si-Hyuk was someone who knew the plot proceedings. She could easily tailor the events to her advantage.

This was an opportunity given by above. Lune was not going to let it slip from her hand.

She had travelled into this world a month earlier than the beginning of the written plot, so Lune was able to make use fo this extra time to draft a thorough plan. First, she needed to get rid of Y/N. After all, there was no point of a female protagonist if it wasn't her.

Next, she had to kill the Secretary. She could not sit still and watch the members of Bangtan be surrounded by other woman.

Today was the day of the Auction; it marked the start of both the original plot and her plans.

Today, Y/N would die here.

At least, that was what she had thought.

As the CEO of Senyu, Lune attended the Auction as a superficial formality to oversee the event when she simply wanted to see her bias, Seokjin. She had asked her subordinates to ambush Seokjin's group beforehand, she could capture the injured man and mark their first meaningful interaction.

Indeed, Lune was waiting for the moment of Seokjin's arrival. 

Instead, all she saw was the Secretary who was shielded by the members amidst an explosion.

The Secretary who was supposed to be a mere side character, someone who she had thrown into the plot for conflict sake. She was being protected by the members, as if she was the main character.

From the first time, Lune was overwhelmed by panic.

It was not the usual anxiety she felt when things didn't go her way, but the pure panic that stemmed from the fear of losing control. The feeling that her own creation was slipping out of her hands, fighting for autonomy.

Lune absolutely cannot let that happen.

She didn't know how the Secretary managed to increase her role in the story, but it didn't matter. All she had to do was kill her. She was the CEO of Senyu, after all. With this in mind, she gathered several assassins to ambush her during the forest trip. Originally it was supposed to be for the female protagonist, but Lune had a more pressing target to worry about at hand.

Much to her chagrin, the assassination ended up in failure. The assassins she hired barely came back in one piece, and through their recounts she grasped the situation. The Secretary had a name—Clarity.

Clarity had been buying time during their assassination for the Bangtan members to come, and indeed, she succeeded.

However, thanks to that, Lune soon realized the root of the problem.

Clarity, in the body of the Secretary, was a transmigrator—just like herself.

An indescribable storm of hatred arose within Lune the moment she found out this information. For someone who was in the same situation, why was Clarity Moon's circumstances so different? While Lune became the antagonist of the story, she took the position that was surrounded by the seven members. Unlike her, the Secretary received all the attention.

Taking in consideration of her current state as a middle-aged man, Lune had planned to simply appreciate the members from afar after getting rid of the female characters in the story. This was no longer her goal.

Especially after discovering another transmigrator in _her_ story, growing closer with _her_ members, Lune was not going to let this go.

With that being said, she came to a final conclusion.

She was the author of _To Be His Possession_ , of the world she was in. She had all rights to decide on the ending for this world. If she couldn't have the members, then no one can.

A name from the past resurfaced her mind: _Witch_.

"They called me a witch? Then I'll be one." Lune's eyes flickered.

She would be the one to bring her own characters to their deaths.

* * *

"How twisted."

Taehyung's cold voice was like a boulder that hurled towards Lune, shattering her reminiscent state. His statement seemed like a spark that ignited a fuse, causing 'Bang Si-Hyuk' to look towards him with a contort smile, one full of desperation.

"Taehyung-ah, you're not supposed to be like this." She said, then switching her glance towards Yoongi. "None of you were supposed to be like this. Why didn't you just follow your paths?!"

"How did you manage to be Senyu's CEO for so long with this unruliness?" Yoongi stepped back, as if looking at her for even a second was enough to hurt his eyes.

"I'm not the CEO, Yoongi. My name is Lune. Lune Kim." The author said with her masculine voice that was full of affection. "Yoongi, call my name, will you?"

With meters distance between them, she unknowingly lifted an arm towards the two members, only to see Clarity stepping in front of them with a knowing smile.

Everything was coming together.

No wonder Clarity was on top of the wanted list. The author herself wanted to get rid of her.

To the 'final boss' of the story, _she_ was the variable.

However, the author had lost. Her plan was a failure.

Clarity skimmed the area around them, her eyes sweeping past all the unconscious bodies on the ground. The rest of the building was also sealed by the members' earlier scouting, and all doors were locked to trap people from within. Across from them, 'Bang Si-Hyuk' was the only one standing, and from the looks of it, he had no way to defend himself in his current situation.

"I don't know if whether to call you delusional or dumb." She narrowed her eyes towards Lune, who was in the appearance of Bang Si-Hyuk. "Even though you're the author of something similar, how can you not distinguish fiction or reality after being in this world for so long?"

"Take a look at the people around you. They're made of flesh and skin just like you and me. They feel pain, joy, anger, love—just like you and me." She clenched her fists. "They are not characters."

Standing by her sides, the two men shared a half-hearted smile at Clarity's words.

"This world stopped being the one in your story a long time ago."

Grey clouds seemed to gather at her words, obscuring the city-lit sky like an impressionist's painting. The wind that had settled down moments ago were rising once again, stirring around them anxiously.

Before they knew it, the initial breeze had accumulated into a howling torrent at the center of the rooftop. Riding the whirlwind was a helicopter that was fast approaching in the distance. Clarity narrowed her vision, making out someone who was waving widely by the side door.

"The reinforcement is here." Yoongi stepped beside her as he glanced up, the corners of his lips upturning at the sight.

Soon, the heliocopter were right above their heads. In the pilot seat was the all-competent Golden Maknae, who had steadied the helicopter adeptly despite the fierce wind that hollered all around them.

"The others are already on their way. Let's go!" Hoseok, with half of his b0dy hanging from the doors, tossed down a ladder at the group.

Yoongi was the first to go up as he nimbly hoisted himself by the handles. Taking for Hoseok's outstretched hand, the light-haired man let himself be pulled to the inside of the helicopter before glancing down at the two.

"Hurry up," he called out to Clarity and Taehyung.

The black-haired man gestured her to go first, which Clarity gladly complied. Grabbing hold of the first step of the dangling ladder, Clarity took a final glance at Lune, who stood in the distance.

She froze after seeing the author's expression.

Lune was smiling.

Pupils constructing with panic, Clarity was hit with an ominous premonition as she instantly turned to warn the members.

Except no words were coming out from her mouth.

... _Huh?_

Suddenly, the world around her started to spin as all strength seemed to simultaneously disperse within her body. The next moment, Clarity was mercilessly pushed downwards by gravity as she lost her grip on the ladder, falling limp into Taehyung's arms.

"Clarity!" His voice was filled with panic. He lowered onto one knee, embracing the girl who had suddenly fell into a helpless state of fragility.

"T-Taehyung, I..." It was like her vocal cords were not in control, and Clarity could only stare helplessly at the raven-haired man.

It was as though someone had poured lava down her throat without warning. Clarity felt an unprecedented pain in her entire body that was ripping her apart. Subconsciously letting out a groan, she could only grimace as even breathing was causing her intense pain.

At that moment, countless terms of profanity encircled Clarity's mind, but it was too painful to enunciate a single one.

_What kind of sorcery was this?!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey readers! After a whole month of daily updates, we’ve caught up with the most recent chapter on Wattpad !!!
> 
> From now on, this will follow the same update schedule as the Wattpad one, so every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
> 
> Look forward to the next update on Wednesday and please let me know in the comments how you’re finding the book so far :)


	40. Never Let Go

The sudden surge of pain threw a blank in Clarity's mind as she lost capability of all rational thought.

Without warning, her knees buckled and she tumbled backwards into Taehyung's arms. Clenching her jaws, she instinctively curled over from the piercing sensation all over her body which felt as if it was being eroded from within.

"Ah. Looks like the bread is finally acting up." Lune cocked her head to get a better view of the two that were on the ground.

"What did you do to her?" Taehyung glared towards the figure in the distance, pulling the shaking Clarity closer into his arms.

"It's a shame that we couldn't get to know each other in this world, Taehyung. You and the other members. It's truly a shame." Lune said sadly.

She kicked the lounge chair aside and slowly made her way towards the two.

"That's why I decided to leave."

There was more to her goal than merely killing the members. Lune's life revolved around BTS. No, it would be more accurate to say that they were her entire life.

What good would it be to stay in a world where they were dead?

This was why Lune decided to go back. The real members of BTS were still waiting for her back in the real world.

Lune was going to return using the same method that caused her transmigration. She was capable of doing that due to the conditions of the sacrificial ritual.

They called her a witch, after all.

However, she had to make sure to minimize risk, since she was in an alternate dimension with wholly different circumstances. To ensure her return was successful, she needed a lab rat.

Someone who was in the same situation as her.

Clarity Moon, the variable of her novel, had became the current Bangtan's treasure.

How would they feel if all seven of them gathered here, only to see her die before their very eyes?

At that moment, the metal platform below them lit up in a crimson red, painting in the tranquil sky in an ominous light. The red patterns on the ground illuminated one by one, forming a strange pattern all around the rooftop.

The threatening aura caused Jungkook to steer the helicopter upwards, creating distance between them and the surface. Something was distorting the cyclic controls, preventing him from approaching the rooftop.

Amidst the chaos, the members in the helicopter shouted across the raging wind, but their voices failed to reach those on the rooftop.

His black hair flying amidst the whirlwinds, Taehyung held Clarity closer as the emerging figure strode towards them.

Although Lune was defenceless, none of the members could fire at her. The chaotic wind was making it hard to aim from this distance, and they couldn't risk shooting recklessly. If she was the one that caused Clarity's current state, they had to kept her alive in order to get the anecdote.

Clarity's safety was the top priority.

Eventually, 'Bang Si-Hyuk' stopped when they were less than three meters away from each other.

"Her body is now in the optimal state of transfer, and the ritual symbols have been activated." Lune said dreamily as she took out a revolver from behind her waist. "Everything's ready."

For the past two days, Lune had prepared Clarity's compatibility with the ritual by supplying the necessary ingredients discreetly through her imprisonments meals.

By killing the current secretary, Lune would ascertain the effectiveness of the ritual. If Clarity travelled back, there would be a visible shift as her soul disperses from the body. If not, the ritual would conclude as a failure, and Clarity Moon would die as the secretary.

Either way, it was a win-win situation.

Levelling the revolver to Clarity's chest, she was about to press the trigger when Taehyung stomped down with one feet. Using the momentum, he carried Clarity in his arms as he spun sideways, twisting his left leg upwards into the air.

They had to keep the fake CEO alive, but that didn't mean she could not be injured.

Moving towards her with a hook kick, Taehyung's pupils constricted as his movement was blocked in midair. Lune's eyes flickered as she looked towards him with a sinister smile in the creasing skin of Bang Si-Hyuk.

"Did you forget? I am the CEO of Senyu, after all. How could I be a mafia leader without knowledge in combat?"

Like Clarity, Lune had taken on the physiques and skills of the original Bang Si-Hyuk after possessing his body.

Without another word, she pulled back, increasing the distance between them and pulled the trigger.

 _Pang_!

"No, no, no-" Hoseok’s frantic voice rang out as the sound of a single gunshot reverberated from below. He spun towards the pilot seat and shouted at Jungkook, "We have to descend, they're in danger! Are the controls still not working?"

"Nothing's responding!" The youngest called from the front, his voice coated with sheer panic.

"Things can't continue like this." Yoongi cursed out before he froze on the spot. Slowly, he turned towards Hoseok with with stern eyes.

"We'll have to take a gamble."

An ominous circle of glowing engravings was all over the rooftop space, meters below Bangtan's hovering helicopter.

On the edge of that circle was a pool of blood, seeping through its dented patterns like a continuous stream.

Despite her hazy consciousness, Clarity was quivering with horror as she felt the shaking arms that embraced her. 

Without speaking, Taehyung pressed her face into his blazer, preventing her from seeing anything as he turned his back. Despite his attempt to block her vision, she could still smell it.

The smell of fresh blood.

Tears trickled down one by one uncontrollably as Clarity squeezed her eyes shut. She buried her head further into his clothes, only to feel the wetness of the liquid that already soaked through his jacket.

"Taehyung..." Muffled sobs intermixed with her hoarse voice.

"Don't talk." His voice slightly trembled with his curt response, but it was indiscernible under the hollering wind that was all around them.

"I-It's because of me." Complete overwhelmed by the messed up state of her body, Clarity only managed to squeeze out these weak words as she clung tightly to his jacket, her heart throbbing with relentless pain.

Everything around him seemed to fall into a state of distortion as Taehyung had trouble differentiating his senses. He was shaking uncontrollably and breathing harshly, to the point where it wouldn't come as a shock for him to faint right there. Even so, his pressed his voice into a gentle whisper by her ear.

"No. It’s not your fault."

"To think you would protect her to this extent." Lune stared at the two with a flat expression before raising the revolver again.

"How sweet."

It was at that moment a shout reached their ears.

"Taehyung, jump!" Yoongi's voice pushed past the raging wind. "Trust me!"

Despite his fading senses, Taehyung could hear it reverberate through his ears with elucidating clearness.

Using the last of his strength, the raven-haired man slung Clarity onto his shoulder, clenching his jaws at the piercing pain that engulfed his entire body and mind.

"Stop!" Realizing something was wrong, Lune was about to fire another shot.

A step before her, Taehyung abruptly slid on the floor towards the rooftop edge, narrowing evading the bullet that flew past his ear like a missile. Taking advantage of the pause in her preceding action, Taehyung pressed onto the ground with his free hand, and using the momentum, propelled himself and Clarity past the edge of the rooftop.

The moment they leapt, the building was hit by a ear-deafening explosion, its impact shoving them meters down the building at a speeding descent. Debris, cement, and other clatters flew in all directions as the bombs set off simultaneously, blowing up the building one wave after another.

With ringing ears and a blurring vision, Taehyung felt his consciousness slipping away as he continued to free fall from the building. A spectrum of colours overwhelmed his unfocused eyes as he was confronted with the fleeting lights of the city at night.

It was getting harder and harder to breathe.

Despite the gushing air ripping throughout his clothes and seeping into his injuries, he tightened his embrace, pressing the short-haired girl to his body. There was no way for him to notice, but at that moment, a mystified white light had enveloped their bodies as they sunk deeper, closer to the ground surface.

Despite his mind being in too muddled of a state to formulate any coherent thought, there was one certainty tightly held in Taehyung's consciousness.

No matter what, he would not let go.

* * *

Clarity's eyes shot open.

For the longest time, she just laid down flat on her back, staring blankly at the pink ceiling above her. Her heart was thumping in her chest, pounding in her ears like an exasperated prisoner who was yearning freedom.

Finally, she inhaled.

It felt like eternity since she last took a breath, and a wave of nausea overcame her as oxygen inflated her lungs. Chest rising and descending in rhythm, she continued the action, exhaling and inhaling again and again until breathing returned to being a natural movement.

At that moment, something flipped in her head.

With a sharp inhale, she sat straight up, pupils shaking with fear as the surge of memories flooded her mind. The asphyxiating pain that had enraptured her entire body was nowhere to be felt, leaving behind only an outpouring emptiness. 

The room was a blur, as if dream and reality had merged into one. Frantically, she moved her arms around to grasp her surroundings. She could hear everything and nothing at the same time, and her memories were jumbled all over the place as the events on the tower rooftop jabbed into her head in stockpiles of information overload. Its vivid sensations chased behind her back, sending shivers down her spine.

Amidst her state of disarray, a single word surfaced in her mind.

 _Taehyung_.

Everytime she blinked, Clarity could see the afterimage of the bullet that penetrated the man, blossoming into an ever-expanding pool of crimson. She could hear his soft voice whispering in her ear, telling her it wasn't her fault. Suddenly, her scrambling fingers grabbed onto something.

Something soft. 

Through bleary eyes, she could make out a heart-shaped object, its bright red fabric protruding her vision.

But it wasn't Taehyung.

_Where is Taehyung?_

At her belated realization, Clarity was hit by devastation that jammed her heart simultaneously with waterfall of clashing emotions. Without even realizing, she had broken into a muffled sob as she recoiled on the bed, hugging her knees close to her shaking body.

As she did that, Clarity was hit with a surge of familiarity. Remnants of a profound, lingering presence enveloped her with warmness. It was as though someone had taken her existence and pieced it together little by little, one piece after another. As if someone had preserved her fragile body, shielding it from all harm.

As if someone had protected her with their life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun dun! what do you think happened?!
> 
> hope you’re all enjoying the story so far! feel free to leave your comments and thoughts about this chapter, or the story in general below !!
> 
> next update on friday :)


	41. Distance

[Congratulations! You are one of the 200 lucky fans to be selected for the post-concert fansign in Seoul!]

[The fansign is held on October 29th—three days from now, yay! Please click on this link to fill in the necessary information and confirm your attendance.]

[Looking forward to seeing you there, A.R.M.Y.!]

[Sincerely, BTS.]

" _Miss Clarity!"_

The voice jerked her out of her trance, and Clarity's head shot up at the familiar appellation.

"Miss Clarity Moon!" Professor Lee hit his fingers on the table, narrowing his eyes in disapproval. "It is extremely rude to be looking at your phone during this conversation. Where are your manners?"

"...Sorry."

She closed her parted lips, casting her gaze down once again.

"Forget about it. You still have not given me an proper explanation for your absence during today's midterm.'

After hearing her silence as a response, the man leaned back and folded his arms with a disgruntled sigh.

"Don't think I am not aware of my students' attendance. You were not in the classes and seminars yesterday, either! I do not care my students do not attend my lectures, nor do I force them to do so. But to skip your midterms, too... Miss Clarity Moon, do you wish to fail this course?"

"No, sir..." Clarity answered absentmindedly. "It will not happen again."

"Better not. I will get back to you for an exam retake." Professor Lee paused before shooting her an apprehensive glance. "You were not like this before. Do not take your talent for scriptwriting as a given. You must also work hard to achieve good results."

"I understand, sir."

The office door closed behind her, and Clarity pressed her back against the wall. She let out a shaky exhale and closed her eyes.

Everything was the same. She was still in university, she was still nineteen.

When Clarity came to her senses, she had woken up from what seemed like an unusually long dream. In fact, she been sleeping for almost the whole day.

Burrowing herself under her blanket, she sobbed uncontrollably for the longest time, and did not shed a tear since.

Aside Clarity's few unexcused absences from school, there were no other variables in her life.

Everyday, she went to her classes in the mornings, rushed to her part-time jobs during the night, and studied for her midterm exams until two in the morning before going to sleep and repeating the cycle all over again.

This was her normal life. This was how everything was supposed to be.

Students hurried to and fro the different classes, passing hallways like sheep being herded by an angry shepherd. The fleeting movements of the sea of people flashed before her, dawning upon an icy reality.

Clarity opened her eyes. Slowly, she pulled out her phone again and clicked open an orange icon. Her movements were habitual; she typed in something in the search bar and refreshed the page continuously, repeating the action like someone under hypnosis.

No results.

 _To Be His Possession_ was gone from this world, as if it never existed to begin with.

Clarity bit down on her lips and felt something burst. A metallic taste reached her tongue.

"No."

There was no way it was a dream.

She was sure of it.

Although months she spent there had been condensed to a few hours in this world, it was not a dream.

"No way."

Although there were no evidence of her transmigration, she was sure it happened. She had to ascertain this.

Her fingers touched the green icon on her phone, which led her to the messages page. Clicking on to the link of the fansign, she was brought to the registration site that popped up on the screen. Clarity quickly filled in her information and confirmed her attendance.

As she pressed to submit, she noticed on the header of the page a group picture of the seven members of BTS.

Subconsciously, she zoomed in the picture to focus on a certain black-haired man. Lifting up a peace sign towards the camera, he had the same profound eyes, the same sculpted nose, and the same box-smile, yet there was a sense of foreignness reflected in her eyes as Clarity pieced his familiar features together.

She habitually touched the side of her left ear, which was smooth and naked. Something was missing.

A part of her was missing.

* * *

The Seoul concert was held at night.

Darkness emerged as the sun set below the horizon, filling the sky in a gradient of orange and blue. Its blended colours were reflected in the concert stadium below.

The Seoul Olympic stadium was filled with a sea of purple, its 70 000 seats completely filled as the area was packed with excitement. Among the fans standing in the center zone was Clarity.

Despite the screams and cheers all around her, her mind was in a state of tranquility. She waved the ARMY Bomb in her hand in rhythm to the BTS music videos playing on the big screen, filling her ears with their music.

_You can't stop me loving myself..._

_I'm so sorry but it's fake love, fake love..._

As with all the others, she too was waiting for the appearance of the members to kick off the concert. 

Suddenly, burst of colours illuminated the stage as the sound of a light explosion reverberated around the stadium.

A holler spread forth, bringing with it a rush of adrenaline that affected every person in its vicinity and beyond. The crowd erupted into countless cheers and screams.

Carrying the momentum, seven glowing silhouettes soon made their grand entrance. They strode towards the center of stage, emitting an overwhelming stage presence that was comparable to seven deities descending upon the world.

With a grin comparable to the vivacity of the sun, J-Hope held up his mic.

"Seoul, are you ready?"

The entire stadium rumbled in response.

"ARMY, are you ready?" Leader RM extended his arms, the dimples on his cheeks deepened by his iconic smile.

One of the girls beside Clarity fainted onto her knees.

Hope, restlessness, elation—as the members said something one after another, the numbness in her faded and Clarity was overcome by a spectrum of emotions.

She felt an unexplainable sense of distance between them as she gazed upwards, staring at the seven members of BTS.

That feeling soon blossomed into a sense of realization as they performed one song after another. When it was the vocal team's performance, the stage dimmed, and an ethereal sphere of light encircled the stadium.

The four members of the vocal line ascended from below the stage, and Clarity's gaze immediately fell on the second member to the left. While singing, they slowly walked towards the front of the stage, stopping when they were merely meters away from the front row fans. Clarity, who was in the third row of the pitch area, felt an unprecedented emptiness as she made eye contact with the black-haired man across from her.

He was _him_ , but at the same time he was not.

They were only a few arm lengths from each other, but it felt as if there was a wall that separated them, extending itself through time and space.

Her surroundings blurred and the cheers faded into silence. It was like everything came to a stop. Freezing on the stop, she faced him blankly, unaware of the tears that were trickling down one drop after another, drawing her cheeks with wet streaks.

Clarity wasn't sure what expression was on her face at that moment, but it probably wasn't a pretty one, as her idol was staring at her with a dazed look.

Her bias Jin, standing beside V, gave him a light nudge on the arm after seeing the singer's aloof state. The eldest followed the direction of his stare, his eyes also landing onto Clarity's spot.

Winking, Jin blew her a kiss.

V, snapping back into reality, blinked a few times before replacing his befuddlement with his usual smile. Smoothly, he retracted his gaze away from her to the others in the pit as he brought the microphone to his lips to sing his next verse.

_Turn this all around,_

_When everything is new, zero o'clock..._

At that moment, Clarity was able to reaffirm something.

She went to this concert with a false hope to discover a link between the Bangtan Co. and BTS members in the two worlds. She wanted to find the formers' shadows through this event. She wanted to see the Bangtan members through their BTS counterparts. It was selfish thinking, but she couldn't help it.

She wanted to ascertain their existence, to reassure herself that everything she experienced was not a figment of her imagination. 

Her actions were driven by sliver of hope that the members would somehow recognize her, and somehow acknowledge the things she had experienced in the other world.

However, reality shattered her wishful delusions. 

The seven men standing before her were the lights in her world of darkness, but that wasn't all. They were not only her light, but the lights of all seven hundred thousand people in the stadium, and millions of others. Their existence illuminated countless eyes in the world, healed countless hearts, and saved countless people.

They were artists who belonged to everyone and no one.

They were BTS.

And she was a fan.

This was their distance.

It was a sad, yet liberating distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy lunar new year to everyone who celebrates it!!
> 
> next chapter on sunday


	42. Same But Different

The entrance and outside sections of the Seoul Olympic stadium was packed with people, lingering for hours even after the concert.

Currently standing in the lobby, Clarity gathered here as one of the 200 lucky winners of the post-concert BTS fansign event. All the chosen people stood in a single filed line that led from the lobby's waiting area all the way to the innermost section of the ground floor corridor, into the mini auditorium where the fansign was held.

A Big Hit staff swung around the line, checking their identifications one by one. When she reached Clarity, the latter handed over her confirmation ticket and ID. After a few seconds, the staff returned the papers with a nod and tied a purple bracelet band around her wrist, which complemented Clarity’s purple scrunchie above it.

As the line shrunk little by little, narrowing the distance between her and the auditorium, Clarity's heart started to beat faster.

What would she say to the members during the fansign?

She dreamt of this moment for years, ever since when she became their fan in 2013. Now that this situation was unveiling right before her eyes, however, she suddenly felt at a loss.

With a complicated mind, Clarity sighed softly. She didn't want to waste this precious moment to be with her idols, but at the same time, she had to search for ways to return to the other world—to the world she belonged to.

The fanfiction was gone. It had vanished from Wattpad completely without a trace, as if it was nonexistent in the first place.

The author, Lune Kim, had used an anonymous username, so Clarity failed to track down her account. In fact, forget about finding the author, she wasn’t even sure if Lune Kim had returned to this world.

Without any leads, finding her was beyond finding needles in a haystack, but comparable to searching for morning dews amidst a vast grassy plain.

"But to think _To Be His Possession_ was really a reflective vessel for an alternate universe..."

Chills went up her back as Clarity recalled Lune Kim’s words about rituals and her planned transmigration. She couldn't help but feel incredulous at the series of events in the past months, well, past day-and-a-half, if she were to use the time in the current world.

How was Lune Kim's actions allowed?

Her mind flashed back to all the novels and fanfictions about the importance of balance, and keeping one's place in the world. It wouldn't be surprising for Lune Kim to experience some sort of crazy backlash from nature after everything she had done.

At the same time, Clarity was filled with a sense of ambiguity. Unlike the author who committed a law-defying ritual, she had no way to connect with the Bangtan members in the other world. She wasn't stupid enough to also attempt something ominous like a ritual, but she wasn't smart enough to figure out nor manipulate the laws behind alternate universes.

There were just too many variables that were out of her control.

Now that she thought about it, her whole transmigration experience was out of nowhere.

Lune Kim had transmigrated due to her ritual, but how about Clarity? All she did was binge read a fanfiction at three in the morning.

Dragging her steps on the ground, Clarity followed the person before her as they entered the auditorium. Around thirty people stood before her in line, so those in waiting were put in the first three rows of the auditorium seats.

The area was spacious, and in the front of the auditorium stage was a long table with the seven BTS members. Seven fans went up at a time, and they allowed two minutes of chatting with each member before moving on.

Leaning back on the foldable auditorium seat, Clarity fell in deep thought as her gaze landed on the seven members at the stage front.

She couldn't go to anyone in BTS for help, since that'll just paint her as someone insane. BTS had nothing to do with her transmigration experience in the first place, so she doubt they would understand anything she was saying even if she tried.

As she silently observed the members' interactions with other fans, a new thought suddenly occurred to her.

Since she had transmigrated back to this world, was it possible that the other members have also experienced the same?

Clarity subconsciously pressed her lips into a line as she leaned forward on her seat, considering the possibility. After thinking back to the BTS concert, however, she soon realized it was an invalid hypothesis.

BTS did not exist in the other world. If the members have transmigrated here, it would be impossible to perform a concert without knowing the lyrics of any of their songs.

A frown appeared on her face as Clarity thought back to the situation with Senyu and Bangtan Co. Hopefully, the members were able to resolve everything without getting themselves injured.

Pushing her thoughts to the back of her head, Clarity decided to stop comparing the two groups for now, and focus on the present members of BTS that were merely meters away from her.

_Clarity, get a hold of yourself. You're about to meet BTS. Not anyone, but BTS!_

_Concentrate on the members before you and cherish this one-in-a-lifetime opportunity!_

She smacked her cheeks with both hands and exhaled before moving towards the first seat at the long table.

The person at the far left was no other than Mr. Worldwide Handsome, Jin, who greeted her with a polite smile as she came forth to the spot across from him. Smoothly taking the album from her shaking hands, Jin lowed his gaze and flipped open to the cover page.

"Name?"

"Clarity." She gulped, watching him flip off the cap of the pen and scribble on his signature. "Clarity Moon."

"Got it." After a few seconds, Jin stopped writing and lifted his head. He handed the album back to her with a smile.

"All for you, Miss Clarity."

Light reflected off his intrigued eyes.

It reminded her of one of their early encounters in his office, when she made her first confession regarding her transmigration. That time, Seokjin had stared at her with the same thoughtful expression.

Clarity bit down on her lips, feeling emotional.

Seeing the rims of the girl's eyes growing red, Seokjin grew slightly flustered as he waved a hand before her face.

"Miss Clarity, do not cry. Look at me," he said, and she casted her gaze upwards. Seokjin tilted his head and using his hands to frame his face, the singer smiles brightly.

"How is it? Are you feeling better after seeing my face?"

Clarity's lips parted slightly, before breaking into a soft giggle.

After her small exchange with the eldest member, Clarity moved down the line to the second seat.

With elbows rested on the table, Suga surrounded himself with an relaxed aura. At his serene state, Clarity couldn’t help but recall the rapper's counterpart, and how he would always slack off on the leather couch in the living room, munching on a bag of chips after a long work session.

As her mind wandered amidst the flashbacks, Suga swiftly signed the album and asked for her name.

"It's Clarity Moon." She smiled, taking the album from the table. "You remind me of someone I know."

"Oh?" Suga arched an eyebrow in amusement, prompting her to elaborate.

"He's a hacker."

Overlooking the man’s blank expression, Clarity continued.

"You two are quite alike."

"Is that so..."

"He's a very talented hacker. He is also someone who cares about those around him, someone who will unhesitatingly step to the front to ensure the safety of his teammates," Clarity said, recalling the nature of the Min Yoongi she knew. “He is also a very realistic person whose not afraid to speak his thoughts. He says his wish is to own a wine farm."

"A wine farm?" Suga, who was momentarily baffled by her information, fell silent.

After a few seconds, he let out a breathy chuckle.

"I think that's quite a goal to pursue."

_Ah... This is harder than I thought._

She only spoke two of the seven members, but Clarity felt as if she could cry any moment now. Mustering up a smile, she shuffled next spot and faced the leader of BTS.

As expected, Namjoon emitted a scholarly vibe as he smiled at her with his attractive dimples. With a sharp inhale, Clarity asked the leader a question that had always been on her mind.

"How is working out going?"

At that, RM laughed warmly, his tender voice reverberating like waves by the summer beach. Not only RM from BTS, but Namjoon from Bangtan Co. also emphasized going to the gym and sculpting his muscles.

_Was it a 'smart men’ thing?_

Clarity shook her head with a wistful smile.

"Namjoon-oppa. The greatest leader in the world. Thank you.” She looked into his eyes with sincerity. “You're truly the core of Bangtan."

"You're too kind." RM smiled in humility. "Everyone is the core of Bangtan. ARMY and the other members alike. We fight, we struggle, we fail, we restart. It's a simple yet enduring cycle."

Upon seeing her complicated expression, the leader quickly signed the album, writing a short sentence on the cover before sliding it back to her. Glancing at the front cover, Clarity's eyes widened as she noticed a single word that stuck out among the rest.

[LIVE.]

"We're all just trying to live," Namjoon said, as if he was aware of her inner turmoils. "Everything will be alright."

Clarity breath hitched in her throat after hearing his familiar words. After a short pause, she sniffled indiscernibly before flashing him a grin.

"Thank you, our leader."

As she turned her head, Clarity caught the youngest staring at her with his doe-like eyes, patiently waiting for her to move towards his spot. Although he was older than her, Clarity saw Jungkook as a younger brother. Was it because she witnessed the youngest's growth as an ARMY from day one?

For some reason, Jungkook's innocent aura reminded her of their first encounter between a tractor and a window.

Clarity couldn't help but laugh.

"Our Golden Maknae," she stated, moving towards the seat corresponding to him.

"That's me." Jungkook beamed proudly, receiving the album from her hands and professionally whipping up his signature with a black marker.

"You should learn how to drive a tractor," she suggested playfully, earning a dumbfounded look from the youngest.

"A tractor?" Jungkook blinked before handing over the album with an amused chuckle. "I will try."

"I'm sure you will do well," Clarity said, "After all, there is nothing Jeon Jungkook can't do."

The seat next to the youngest belonged to none other than the soft-voiced Jimin.

Clarity long grew accustomed to seeing his silver hair that stuck out like a sore thumb in every crowd, so she had to manually adjust her mindset after seeing the current Jimin with brown hair.

As if noticing her scrutiny towards his hair, the singer signed the album and pushed it aside. Without warning, he took her hand into his own, smoothly bringing it up to touch his silky hair. Ignoring her look of surprise, Jimin only smiled innocently, his eyes thinning into crescent moons.

"It was written all over your face." His soft yet slick voice echoed in her ears, pulling her back to the day of the drinking competition.

With a faint sigh, Clarity ruffled his brown hair before lightly flicking him on the forehead.

"Go easy on yourself, will you?" She frowned, causing the man to cock his head in confusion. "Don't always overexert yourself, know when to give yourself a break. We love you the way you are right now. This is a certainty for all ARMY."

The corner of Jimin's lips upturned at her words, and he bobbed his head up and down.

As Clarity was about to say something else, her eyes widened as the singer before her was pulled into a headlock by the person beside him.

J-Hope, smiling as brilliantly as the sun, playfully smacked Jimin on the back.

"You're going overtime, we all need equal time with ARMY!" He said as his gaze shifted towards Clarity, who had shuffled her way across the table. J-Hope's eyes brightened as he pointed to his head, gesturing a reflection of her own.

"Your hair—it's so long!"

Clarity subconsciously touched her low ponytail, feeling it flowing down her waist. She became so used to seeing her short, brown hair that it took her a few days to readjust herself in her long, black hair that reached almost past her waist. It was currently tied up with a purple-patterned scrunchie.

"I used to have short hair." She paused for a second. "Until recently."

"Until recently?" J-Hope's brows furrowed at her statement that sound somewhat odd, but

decided to not pursue the topic further. Instead, he grinned brightly. "I think you'll also look good with short hair!"

"Thank you," Clarity said, grabbing the album on the table. She looked down, rearranging the words in her mind before staring into his eyes again.

"Hobi."

"Yes?" J-Hope's eyes glimmered.

"Can you say this line for me?"

At the rapper's prompt nodding, she took a deep breath and scribbled down the sentence on a piece of paper, sliding it in front of him. She watched as J-Hope skimmed over the words, his expression transforming from anticipation to a look amusement. After a minute, he looked up from the paper, into her eyes.

"You look beautiful, my little flower!" He grinned.

Clarity's eyes widened. Contrary to her expectations, the cringeworthy phrase from _To Be His Possession_ that she had read with utmost embarrassment flowed smoothly out of his mouth without a hint of awkwardness. In fact, it was a very Hoseok-like thing to say.

She chuckled ruefully.

In that instant, a familiar gaze fixed onto her. J-Hope was the second last member by the long table, which meant there was only one person left. Her heart pounding wildly in her chest, Clarity slowly moved towards the end of the table.

Unlike Jimin's different hairstyle, the man before her kept his black hair, its curls hovering over a part of his forehead with elegant precision.

His same dark eyes peered into her own, drawing her into the oblivion. Facing the familiar presence, Clarity inhaled sharply as all the memories flooded back into her mind.

With a gulp, she approached the end of the long table and sat in the seat across from him.

In his grey turtleneck, Taehyung's chin was covered by the rims of the clothing as he took a quick glance at her album. Shaking his black curls out of the way, he scribbled on his signature and politely pushed the signed album towards her.

Dazedly, Clarity reached for the album, and at that moment, their hands touched. His fingers sent an surge of warmth throughout her body.

The sensation was familiar, yet there was an insurmountable difference between them.

Withdrawing his hand, Taehyung smiled.

"Thank you for coming, ARMY."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> picking up the pace next chapter, so look forward to it!
> 
> next update: wednesday:)


	43. Collision

"Thank you for coming, ARMY."

Despite Taehyung thanking her, it sounded more as if he was swearing at her.

Clarity held back her constrained urge to smack him on the head. Instead, she inhaled sharping, curling her lips into a smile.

"Not at all. Thank _you_." Her sharp tone caused Taehyung to slightly flinch, but Clarity simply continued on. "Taehyung, I had a dream. It was a very _undream_ - _like_ dream."

The black-haired singer blinked twice.

"What was it about?"

"In the dream, there was someone like you. Yes, he was very much like him, but also very different." A bittersweet expression was on her face. "He looks intimidating on the outside, but is actually super clingy. He doesn't like sweet food, but he likes eating the cookies I make. His favourite colour is green, he doesn't like being alone, he's a morning bird rather than a night owl...

"He is very loyal to his family, and he will do anything to protect those he cares about." Clarity found herself momentarily turning her head in order to hide the single tear that escaped her bleary eyes.

Taehyung was silent during this whole time, giving her his utmost attention. After Clarity calmed down, she grazed over her wet cheeks with her sleeves and casted her gaze towards the album on the table.

"That person is very, very far away right now."

There was an insurmountable distance between them.

_Ba-dump._

Something flashed in Taehyung's obsidian eyes as he listened to the girl in front of him. After a seemingly interminable silence, he spoke in a soft voice.

"Are you going to find him?"

His deep tone submerged her consciousness like ocean waves under the serene moonlight. It felt as if there was a lump in her throat as Clarity forcibly swallowed. She had to remind herself that the person before her was not him.

No matter how similar they were, he was not him.

With this in mind, she lifted her head, staring straight into his eyes with conviction.

"I will reach him no matter what."

An air of silence fell upon the two at her words. Eventually, the raven-haired man mustered a smile.

"I'm glad."

Contrary to the simple words of encouragement, an strange expression emerged onto Taehyung's face at that moment. The man's odd reaction threw Clarity into a momentary dazed before she was urged to move on by one of the staffs behind them.

_Badump. Badump. Badump._

As her silhouette disappeared into the corridors, Taehyung, whose mind was now in a state of complication, averted his gaze from the doors.

Hoseok, sitting to his left, nudged him lightly after noticing the black-haired man's trance.

"Something on your mind?"

At the older member's question, Taehyung just shook his head with a smile. "It's nothing, _hyung_."

Despite his nonchalant response, however, he couldn't help but frown at the strange sensation in his chest.

It was his heart.

His heart was pounding violently in his chest, as if belonging to someone else.

* * *

The sky was painted a mash of orange and purple, complementing the glowing sun that was half under the horizon.

Clarity sat on a bench outside the stadium, she had her face buried in her hands as all kinds of thoughts whirled in her head.

"Even though I told myself not to compare the BTS members with their counterpart, I still subconsciously tried to search for their shadows..." She lamented, thinking back to the moments of the fansign.

She then thought about Taehyung, who did not recognize her at all.

Of course, it made sense for him to not know who she was, but she was still frustrated, nonetheless. Leaning back on the wooden bench, she tilted her head to glance at the darkening sky.

"If I ever return to that world, I'm definitely going to make him pay..." She pouted.

The concert was held in the afternoon. After it ended, many people lingered around the stadium to take pictures and videos to record the memorable experience.

As Clarity continued her rueful recalls, she vaguely noticed three girls skittered past, laughing amongst themselves.

"Did you see her face? That was totally hilarious!"

"I swear, I shivered just now. But it was funny.

"She looked just like a witch!"

Watching the girls stroll past her, Clarity gloomed internally. As she spent the majority of her time either studying or working, she did not have many opportunity to meet people, let alone befriend other ARMYs. As a result, she came to this concert all by herself.

Not that she was complaining, thought. Clarity was content just being able to see BTS.

She glanced at her phone. As today was a Friday, she did not have work. She planned to drop by the convenience store to buy herself some simple meals before going home.

With a huff, she pulled herself up, brushing off the dust on her pants. She was about to turn around when her vision suddenly blurred, distorting the world around her. The motion was so sudden that Clarity subconsciously fell back onto the blink, eyes widening as she froze on the spot.

At that moment, a clear, sonorous voice reverberated in her ears.

" _Your role is still incomplete._ "

The final syllable lingered in her mind like the trickling of crystallized bells in giant chasm. When it finally faded away, her surroundings returned to normal and Clarity shot up from her seat. Shaking, she frantically spun around to search for the source of the voice, but there was nothing. It felt as if the statement was made by someone internal.

Someone was inside her head?

As Clarity looked around in bafflement, she happened to witness the exact moment that someone running across the street tripped over her foot, falling flat on her face. Blinking, Clarity pushed the shock past her head and hurried over.

"Are you alright?" she asked after helping the girl to her feet.

Instead of replying the girl tugged onto her sleeves with both hands, her black bobbed hair a mess as her pupils constricted frantically.

"I-I'm looking for the fansign location, do you know where it is?" Her voice was coated in exasperation, and Clarity thought she was going to bawl right there.

Dazedly, she pointed towards the side entrance of the stadium, where she had exited the the lobby and amphitheater an hour ago.

"It's by the side entrance, but the fansign is probably over now."

At Clarity's words, the girl's expression visible worsened as her lips quivered and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"I missed it... I really missed it..." The girl dropped her arms to the side, entering a mental breakdown as she started mumbling to herself. "Being one of only 200 people chosen, yet I managed to flunk this opportunity... If only I didn't get my wallet stolen, if only I didn't put my ID in my wallet, if only I managed to get my wallet back before the fansign ended..."

Watched the girl lament right before her, Clarity shook her head internally.

_Truly, it's a tragedy._

She empathized with the poor girl. If it was her in the same position, Clarity would have regretted it for a lifetime.

With these thoughts in mind, she fumbled around with her bag, and after a few seconds, pulled out a neatly folded banner. Unravelling the fabric, Clarity held the banner in its expanded form, revealing a limited-edition group picture of BTS. She handed it to the girl with a smile.

"Here, you can have this."

Still sniffling, the girl with the black bob stared at her, then at the banner in her hands, a dumbfounded expression on her face. "...Can I really? Is it really okay?"

Clarity chuckled, then nodded. Although it was a fansign-exclusive banner, she had her signed album from BTS so it was enough. Besides, she felt regretful for the girl who had missed the opportunity of a life-time.

The black-haired girl rubbed the lens of her glasses with her sleeves, unable to believe her eyes. After a few moments of shock, she received the banner and bent her body in a ninety-degrees bow.

"Thank you so much!" She exclaimed.

At her exaggerated actions, Clarity couldn't help but smile.

* * *

After her visit to the convenience store, Clarity returned to her apartment. Stacking the grocery bag on the counter, she took out three cups of ramen, some tomatoes, and eggs. She considered buying fruits, but they were expensive these days, especially since winter was approaching.

"If Seokjin saw what I was eating, he would probably lose his mind," she mumbled to herself, chuckling half-heartedly as she imagined the man's look of incredulity.

Cooking up the ingredients, Clarity prepped the simple meal in less than fifteen minutes. Setting the table, she started to eat while watching the newest episode of RUN BTS on her phone.

At this instant, her life seemed so simple and plain. It felt as if the few months she spent with the members of Bangtan Co. were part of a fleeting dream.

Muffled music was emitting at the area outside her apartment building. Clarity lived in an old neighbourhood along the Jamsil Bridge, only a few kilometres away from the Olympic Stadium. As a result, she could hear the members rehearsing for the second Seoul concert the next day.

Putting her empty dishes into the sink, Clarity opened the windows, allowing the breeze to carry the familiar melodies into the room. She then started washing the dishes with BTS's dimming voices echoing throughout her apartment.

By the time she finished cleaning, it was almost ten o'clock. The moon was unusually bright today, and despite being almost November, the weather was surprisingly nice, only a bit chillier than what she would call "sweater weather."

While Clarity's original plan was to study for the make-up exam that was next week, she decided to break her usual schedule and go out for a walk.

Late at night, the streets of Seoul were packed with people. A cold breeze swept across the sidewalk, and Clarity subconsciously pulled her turtleneck closer to her chin. She had underestimated the weather and regretted coming outside with only a turtleneck and a brown trench coat.

For a while, she just walked around the lit up streets and observed the people around her. Some were with their partners, while others hung around with their group of friends. The city was bustling with vibrancy, almost as if it was a holiday festival.

"I wonder if the members ever went to a festival in the other world..." she mumbled.

Before she knew it, Clarity had strolled past the business streets and was near the Olympic Stadium again. A few blocks away from the main avenue, there were less people around this area. Continuing onto the empty sidewalks, Clarity peeked beyond the row of trees, towards the stadium in the distance.

The rehearsal had ended almost an hour ago, leaving Olympic Stadium inundated in darkness.

"BTS is probably on their way to their hotel..." she said, internally wishing the boys a good night's sleep.

At the same time, Clarity reached an intersection and took a turn left to start making her way back to the apartment. Now in a even less populated area, the sidewalks were absolutely silent, and amidst the empty streets she felt an unprecedented loneliness.

Unknowingly letting out a shiver, Clarity quickened her steps.

Dark clouds gathered around the brimming moon, dawning a sense of eerie around the rows of buildings that seemed like monsters hiding in the shadows.

As she strode past the lamps and buildings, something caught her attention. From the corner of her eye, Clarity made out shadows in an alleyway at the road across from her. Under the dim starlight and distant street lamps, the alleyway glowed like an ominous murder location in movies.

Some fight seemed to have occurred in the alleyway. Amidst the silhouettes in the group of students who were still in their uniforms, someone was pushed against the wall.

_Bullying during this time and year?_

Unfortunately, Clarity's current body did not allow her to play the hero and break the fight. She pulled out her phone and punched in the numbers to the police station. Shaking her head with a sigh, she could only hope that no one would get too injured in the situation before the police's arrival.

Before she could press on the "call" icon, however, Clarity saw it.

In the short minute, one of the girls in the group that had been against the wall was hauled out of the alley.

Crashing through the sidewalk, the person was now lying in the middle of the road!

At the same time, a large van was driving from the other side of the street, towards their direction.

"Yah, move out of the way!" Clarity yelled from across the street, but received no response.

The hooded person, still in the middle of the road, slowly sat up, only to freeze completely at the approaching vehicle. The headlights from the van enlarged with each passing second, with the driver overlooking her presence to her dark clothing blending with the cemented ground.

"Ah, damn it."

Clarity did not have the luxury to evaluate the pressing situation. Her gaze was focused on the approaching car that had no signs of stopping. Without thinking, she leaped past the sidewalk to the middle of the road. She reached out, grabbed onto the girl's arms, and yanked back with all her strength.

The two of them fell by the sidewalk, and the white van braked hastily with only a meter between them. 

Heart pounding wildly in her chest, Clarity panted in bewilderment. Her eyes swept over to the alleyway, only to see the rest of the students scuttling away. Beside her, the girl seemed to finally regain her senses. She trembled after recalling the situation, causing her hood to fall to the back of her head.

Clarity's eyes widened after seeing the familiar face.

It was the girl from earlier today, the one who missed the BTS fansign!

"Hey, are you alright?" she frowned after seeing her trembling body.

After a few moments of silence, the shock wore off and the black-haired girl squeezed out a small nod.

"I'm not one to pry into people's personal problems, but I advise you to either call the police or tell an adult if you're being bullied." Clarity stood up, extending her hand as she pulled the girl onto her feet. "You could have died just now."

The girl with short hair fell silent at her words. Pressing her lips into a thin line, she was silent for a moment, before looking up at her with a smile. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm alright."

Blinking at her sudden change of attitude, Clarity slowly nodded. "No need to thank me. I only acted in the spur of the moment."

"Thank you, anyway." The girl took off her glasses, which had a shattered lens and a broken leg, dropping it in her pocket. "May I ask for your name?"

"Clarity Moon," Clarity replied.

Nodding at her response, the girl extended her hand with a shy smile. "My name is Lune. Lune Kim."

At that moment, the white van that was across from them rattled, and all the automatic doors slid open. A chubby-looking man with thick glasses stumbled off the steps to the drivers seat, pressing his palms together as he immediately lowered his head.

"Are any of you hurt?" he exclaimed in shock, voice trembling as he bowed over and over again.

Despite the man's exasperated apologies, Clarity paid no attention to anything he was saying. Her wide eyes were fixed on people visible in the large van.

As if her mind wasn't already a mess after hearing the introduction from the girl beside her, the progressing of this situation just made it worse. With heads poking out of the car apprehensively, three more people stepped out, and Clarity repressed a gasp at sight of the familiar faces.

"Is everything alright?" Suga looked around. He ruffed the back of his messy hair, looking dazed as if he just woke up from a nap.

Right behind him were Jin and V, who also glanced around in confusion. At that moment, his dark eyes met Clarity's frantic ones.

"Ah. You are..." V blinked, brows furrowing as if he was trying to pin a name to her.

While Clarity had to manually close her mouth, Lune Kim, standing beside her, froze on the spot.

The five of them just stood in a circle, staring at each other with dumbfounded expressions while the driver bowed over and over again.

Then Lune Kim fainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how did you find this chapter?  
> let me know in the comments!
> 
> next update: friday


	44. Contemplating

A cold light dawned upon the interior of the hospital.

Her back pressed to the wall, Clarity shuffled uneasily in her seat as she glance over across the room. By the corridors was BTS's manager, who appeared to be discussing something with the front desk.

After Lune Kim suddenly lost consciousness, they had brought her to the hospital and were now awaiting the diagnosis results.

She casually glanced at her phone, only to realize it was three in the morning.

According to BTS's schedules, their second concert in Seoul was tomorrow night—well, tonight now, on October 30th.

Although they should be resting, the BTS members decided to wait for Lune Kim to wake up. Regretful of the situation, they believed it was only right to do so.

After rehearsing at the Olympic Stadium, BTS had divided themselves into two vans; the first consisted of J-Hope, Jimin, Jungkook, and RM who were now back in the hotel, while the second included Jin, Suga, and V. Naturally, it's the latter that ended up in the current situation.

Unlike their majestic presence hours ago on the concert, the three BTS members stood barefaced and in casual clothing. With masks and bucket hats covering the majority of their facial features, the three stood by the walls, concealing themselves from the eyes of others in the same area.

Suga turned sideways, his eyes landing on the girl sitting to his right.

"Sorry for pulling you into this situation, I heard you were just passing by," he said, slightly tugging down the rim of his hat. "You can leave any time, you know."

At his statement, Clarity just shook her head with a smile. "It's fine. I will stay to make sure she is alright."

While her response sounded like something from an uprising member of society, in reality, her mind was simply in too much of mess right now for her to move. Taking advantage of the waiting period, Clarity organized the series of events that occurred today, allowing her thoughts to wander.

The first thing on her mind was the encounter with Lune Kim.

_Did the ritual work? She really managed to transmigrated back into this world?_

She clearly recalled that the girl had introduced herself as Lune Kim, yet it was exact this that did not make sense. Even when Clarity introduced herself with her full name, Lune Kim had expressed no signs of surprise or any other similar reactions. In fact, she had seemed to not even recognize her!

When Clarity first transmigrated to the alternate universe, all her physiques changed into those belonging to the Secretary, including her height, hair colour, eye colour, and so on. However, she retained her original facial features to a certain degree, so Lune Kim, who knew of her appearance in the other world, should have been able to easily pinpoint the similarities during their first encounter after the fansign.

_Was she playing dumb? Or did she really not recognize me?_

Clarity recalled her interactions with the Lune Kim in this world. It was as though none of her transmigration experience had even occurred, and that this Lune Kim was only a highschool student who happened to be a fan of BTS.

But again, she also could not dismiss the possibility that this Lune Kim was simply someone with the same name. After all, since she used the appearance of of Bang Si-Hyuk in the other world, Clarity wasn’t sure of her face in this world.

Still, to meet BTS and someone named Lune Kim all at once right after she returned...

Wasn’t this too much of a coincidence?

Subconsciously frowning, Clarity crossed her arms. She leaned back on the grey hospital seat, deep in thought.

Rather than the inevitable confusions, she worried more over the augmenting sense of helplessness she felt over everything that happened. Frankly speaking, there was nothing she could do about this turn of events.

Over the past few days, she thought hard on making sense of her transmigration experience. She surfed the web, read books on astronomy, and even considered seeking help from fortune tellers. Naturally, she wanted to look for ways to return to the other world, but that required her to first figure out the reason that led her transmigration in the beginning.

At these thoughts, Clarity let out a soft sigh.

_To think that the final boss and the one behind all of the Senyu shenanigans turned out to be a highschooler..._

She couldn't help but inwardly laugh at the absurd reality.

Of course, all of this was under the prerequisite that her transmigration was not a dream.

Speaking of absurdity, she then recalled the voice she had heard on the bench near the concert stadium. The voice only appeared for less than ten seconds, but no one around her seemed to have noticed its presence. It was hard for her to ascertain if the voice was real or only a figment of her imagination.

_One weird event after another..._

Clarity serious considered seeking out a psychiatrist after all of this was over.

Inhaling tensely, she pushed the uncertainties to the back of her head and refocused her attention on the more pressing situation at hand.

Taking note of her surroundings, Clarity slipped both hands in her pockets and lowered her head. She stood six feet apart from the BTS members, with the closest one being V.

Although the hospital was sparse with people early in the morning, she tried to avoid talking to the boys. After all, it would be horrifying if Dispatch or someone who knew them ended up recognizing the worldwide artists and starting coming up with all sorts of speculations.

As an ARMY, she needed to avoid bringing trouble upon her idols at all cost.

Just then, she noticed something through the corner of her eye.

While Suga and Jin chatted to their manager, Taehyung, exhausted from the concert, had plopped himself on the seat a few spots away from hers. His head drooped once every few seconds, while his eyes fluttered as he struggled to keep awake.

Finding this sight quite amusing, Clarity decided to observe the singer silently, only to widen her eyes when Taehyung's body slowly tilted to the ground.

Without thinking, she extended her arm as support, stopping the raven-haired man from crashing headfirst onto the hospital floor.

The sudden jerk pulled Taehyung out of his dazed state, and he blinked twice in surprise. After clearing his mind, the man turned towards Clarity, awkwardly rubbing the nap of his neck as he glanced up at her with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry about that."

His voice was groggy and low, barely audible under the ringing ceiling lights and the chatters in the room. However, it reverberated in Clarity's ears with abnormal lucidity.

Flustered, she instinctively attempted to move away from him, only to wince at the sudden pain on her knee. She glanced down at her leg.

Taehyung's eyes followed her gaze, widening as it landed on the spot of her injury. Part of the skin on her leg peeled open, revealing a red gash that was the size of one's little finger. Dry blood clotted on the exposed flesh, giving the injury an appearance of a dark brownish-red.

"Ah." She tilted her head with an awkward smile. "It must have happened when I pulled the girl off the road. I didn't even notice. Haha..."

Contrary to her self-deprecating laugh, the raven-haired man beside her showed no signs of reciprocating her humour. Under the dim hospital lights, Taehyung's skin glowed a light grey, contrasting with his eyes that darkened like the abyss.

Without speaking, he walked in front of her and dropped to one knee. Before Clarity could even gape, her breath hitched in her throat as he caressed her knee delicately, treating it like fragile glass.

A familiar action done by a familiar person.

At that moment, Clarity glanced towards the black-haired man, only to realize he was gazing at her at the same time. Noticing the corners of her eyes that were turning red, Taehyung's expression transformed into one of both surprise and concern.

"Does it hurt this much?"

His soft voice, coated with apprehension, shook her heart like gusts on a cloudy night. Sniffling, Clarity shook her head.

"It's fine," she said.

"It's not fine," Taehyung retorted.

Without waiting for her to reply, the man whipped out a bandage from his pocket, along with a couple of cotton swabs. Clarity stared dumbfounded as he wetted the cotton swab, skillfully dabbing it over her wound.

"My grandma always told me to should carry bandages and cotton swabs with me as first-aid," he told her as he cautiously placed the bandage over the injury.

"Why cotton stabs?" Clarity blinked.

"I was prone to nosebleeds when I was younger, so it eventually became a habit to carry them just in case."

With that, Taehyung bent over to ensure the bandage was on correctly. As he did that, Clarity could see the top of his head and the messy state of his dark curls. Without thinking, she placed her hand on his head, ruffling his hair in the process.

The man froze.

After processing her actions just now, so did Clarity.

At that moment, Taehyung glanced up and stared at her with wide eyes. Clarity immediately let go, her face burning in embarrassment as she squeezed out a small 'sorry'.

Taken back, Taehyung remained silent for a few seconds before his lips parted to say something.

"I-"

"The patient is awake."

His voice was cut off by the doctor who emerged from the hospital room. Everyone immediately gathered at his words, and the white-coated doctor looked at them in reassurance.

"Thankfully, she was not injured and only fainted due to shock and fatigue," he explained calmly. "As long as she gets a good rest, it should be fine. She is discharged from the hospital and is free to leave anytime."

After hearing the doctor's recommendations, the group entered the patient room.

Sat up against the white mattress, Lune Kim fiddled with the rims of her hospital gown. She lifted her head at the footsteps from the entrance, and her eyes to widened at the people walking into the room.

"You are..!" Jaws dropping, she could only stare in a flabbergasted manner.

"I heard your name is Lune." Jin spoke first, his gaze soft with apprehension. "We are really sorry about what happened earlier. I hope you are feeling alright."

Rather than responding to his concern, Lune smacked a hand to her mouth, pupils shaking in awe.

"It's Kim Seokjin in the flesh!"

Jin's lips parted slightly, and Suga snickered from behind.

Seeing the girl's bewildered expression, Clarity silently reaffirmed her hypothesis that Lune Kim really did not remember anything from the other world.

_Could it be memory loss? A side effect from transmigration?_

However, this made things quite difficult. If Lune Kim retained her original knowledge and memories, Clarity would have been able to use that to her advantage to search for a way of transmigration. Although the ritual she spoke of on Senyu's rooftop definitely did not seem safe, it was her only clue at the moment.

She also found it hard to believe that a simple BTS-obsessed high school student like her decided to commit terrorist attacks in the other world.

Many questions pent up in her mind, and Clarity felt the need to have a conversation with Lune Kim after this to test her intentions.

After a few chitchats and exchanges between Lune and the three BTS members, the latter group had to leave in preparation for their daytime schedule and the concert in less than twenty hours. The hands on the clock by the wall moved little by little, showing the time 4:02 A.M..

Before the members left, each of them took turns signing her album as compensation, which was more than enough for the high school girl. Holding the album tightly in her arms, Lune stared at the signatures fondly, as if they were her children.

Silently observing her reaction, Clarity planned to initiate a conversation when someone behind her suddenly spoke up.

"By the way..." V, who was the last one to leave the room, lingered by the door and said in a deep voice, "There is another concert tonight."

"Yes, I am aware!" Lune replied immediately, eyes sparkling with joy. "Unfortunately, I missed the fansign today, but I still have my tickets for tomorrow's concert! I will be seeing you soon!"

"...That's good to hear." The singer smiled faintly at her enthusiasm.

He then turned towards the other girl in the room, his dark eyes flickering thoughtfully.

"How about you?"

Contemplating on ways to smoothly instigate a conversation about rituals with Lune Kim, Clarity barely registered his question. Only after a long silence inundated the room did her head perked up. Suddenly confronted by V's expectant gaze, Clarity blinked in confusion.

"The concert tonight," V said again, assuming she had missed it the first time.

"Will you be there, too?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> any predictions for what's going to happen? leave them down in the comments!
> 
> next update: sunday :)


	45. A Bold Assumption

"Will you be there, too?"

_Is he asking me if I'm going to the concert tonight?_

Clarity lamented inwardly at the black-haired man's unexpected question. As much as she loved BTS, she only had enough money to buy one concert ticket, and even that was a result of months of saving money. Plus, the fight for ticket sales was comparable to war. She had barely lucked out just for one ticket, let alone both days.

Clarity pursed her lips and fell into silence. Before she could indicate a negative response, however, someone else popped by the door. Jin, who came back after noticing V's absence, arrived just in time to witness her dilemma.

Noticing her hesitation, the eldest chuckled softly before turning to the corridor. "Manager- _hyung_! You have a few spare tickets with you, right?"

He looked towards Clarity, then at the awkwardly standing V. After that, he disappeared for a few minutes, soon returning with a ticket in his hand. Tossing it to the black-haired man, Jin casually gestured with his hand towards Clarity's direction.

With a nod, V took the ticket from his hand and walked into the room. He passed along the ticket to the dazed Clarity.

"As a thank-you gift for your good deed." He smiled. "We hope to see you there."

"Thank you..." Clarity muttered.

As the two members disappeared from the room, she cleared her head and shoved the ticket into her back pocket.

_He really is different._

The Kim Taehyung from BTS acted with confidence while retaining his boyish innocence; his smile full of gentleness was truly fitting for a celebrity.

With a relieved smile, Clarity found herself admiring him all over again.

At the same time, however, an inevitable sense of melancholy arose within her heart.

_I wonder if Taehyung is doing well..._

Her chest tightened as she recalled his injuries and what happened on top of the Senyu tower.

"Are you alright?"

With her thoughts interrupted by a small voice, Clarity spun around towards Lune Kim, who was staring at her with apprehension.

"I'm alright," she said, "are _you_ alright?"

She needed to test the girl in front of her, to find out the truth behind her transmigration.

Contrary to Clarity's expectations, however, Lune Kim held no hostility against her at all as the highschool girl began to gush about her excitement about meeting BTS and how much she was looking forward to the concert tonight.

As the conversation went on, Clarity's silent observations led her to the conclusion that Lune Kim really had no recollection of what happened in the other world.

"Come to think of it..." Lune Kim paused, peering towards Clarity with eyes that were filled with an odd light. "You seem to personally know BTS?"

At her question, Clarity merely shrugged with nonchalance. "I don't. The encounter was a complete coincidence. They probably recalled me from the fansign."

"I see!" She nodded, lips curling into a grin. "That makes sense!"

At that moment, something clicked in Clarity's head.

From her interactions with Lune Kim in the other world, Clarity had half-guessed that the girl was a saesaeng before her transmigration. After all, from the way she obsessed over the members to everything she knew about them, it didn't come as an unreasonable hypothesis. Lune's question just now, concealed with an insinuating weariness, reaffirmed her thoughts.

Although Lune Kim had no memories of the other world, it wouldn't hurt for Clarity to stay on guard. After all, if the former were to regain her memories one day, Clarity had no doubt that she would attempt an assassination after recognizing her as the Secretary. Accounting all these risks, it was better to be safe than sorry.

As Clarity organized her initial considerations, Lune Kim suddenly shot up from the hospital bed, causing her to jump on the spot.

"W-what?" Clarity blinked.

"My things. Where is my backpack?" Lune's voice was abnormally tense.

Momentarily taken back by her extreme reaction, Clarity used a few seconds to calm herself before skimming around the room. Her gaze landed on the purple bag on the counter.

"It's here," she responded, taking the backpack and handing it to Lune Kim, who immediately rummaged through the bag's insides.

Clarity repressed her emerging frown after seeing the girl rip the bag inside out as if in a state of possession. Eventually, Lune visibly relaxed after going through its contents three times and muttered to herself, "It's still there..."

"What were you looking for?" Clarity asked.

Her question seemed to ignite something as the highschool girl suddenly stared at her with wary, as if she was a foreign threat.

"How long have you been an ARMY?" Without waiting for Clarity's answer, she continued on. "Who is your bias? How many concerts have you been to? Fansigns? If you ranked BTS's importance to your life from a scale of one to ten, what would you give it?"

Silently, the air between them shifted as Clarity felt chills going up her back. At this point, she was certain that something was wrong with Lune Kim.

"Actually, I don't know them very well," she lied immediately, feigning calmness in her voice. "The concert and fansign ticket actually belonged to my friend, but she couldn't make it due to personal reasons. She did not want to waste the opportunity and money, so she asked me to go in her stead to take videos to show her afterwards."

Lune Kim seemed to be satisfied at the explanation Clarity whipped up on the spot. Without saying anything else, the former lifted her index finger to her lips with a thoughtful smile.

"This is a secret, but I'm planning to try something tonight."

Other than the occasional droplets coming from the medical drip between them, the heater's rumbling was the only audible sound in the room.

Clarity subconsciously swallowed as her imagination ran wild upon hearing her words. Cautiously, she peered towards the girl's direction.

"What are you planning to do?"

At her question, Lune's eyes curled upwards, sending a chilling sensation down her spine.

"An experiment."

Without waiting for her to speak, Lune pulled out an antique-looking notebook, dusting the cover habitually as she caressed leather surface with a fond expression.

"It's something I've planned for a long time." She smiled. "If it works, it will be a life-changing phenomenon."

At that moment, Clarity felt that Lune Kim's calm smile was tinged with an indescribable madness to them, and she had a bold assumption.

What if the reason behind Lune Kim's memory gap wasn't due to the transmigration backlash, but because she had yet to transmigrate in the first place?

Relatively knowledgeable in the fields of philosophy and astronomy, Clarity knew many theories regarding alternate universes and parallel timelines. Plus, all webnovels and fanfictions she read about transmigration allowed her to instantly apply that knowledge, connecting her current situation with a few possible explanations.

Although Clarity Moon and Lune Kim have managed to meet in the other world, it was possible that the timelines were distorted due to the nature of multiple existing universes.

Using this world's time mark, Clarity's transmigration occurred on October 22nd. However, Lune Kim's planned "experiment," which she suspected to be the transmigration ritual, was on October 30st. With this time gap in between, Clarity speculated that she had actually transmigrated earlier than the Lune Kim in this world, but they managed to merge onto the same timeline in the other world.

Taking in consideration how time flowed differently in the two universes, this was a reasonable hypothesis.

Clarity then recalled the date.

October 30th.

That was the day before the renowned holiday, Halloween. It was when spirits were said to gather and when the world was most influenced by the concept of supernatural, both on the physical and psychological level. Even if they were just myths, it would make sense for Lune Kim to attempt the ritual on this day over all others, since it would ensure the highest success rate.

_Your role is still incomplete._

The message she heard at the concert flashed in her mind, replaying itself like a sonorous bell.

Was the reason why she had transmigrated to stop Lune Kim from transmigrating? Rationally speaking, disturbing the balance between worlds should be highly tabooed, especially when Lune Kim had transmigrated into such an influential figure in the other world.

An ominous foreboding was coming across her as all the pieces started to come together, forming a terrifying picture in her head.

In the silent room, Clarity unknowing gulped as her gaze fixed onto the girl with black hair.

If her hypothesis was correct, then that meant she needed to keep Lune Kim distracted at least past tonight, ideally skipping over Halloween so she does not have chance to perform the transmigration ritual.

* * *

  
The October sun shone brightly above them as the taxi stopped before a neighbourhood in Gangnam city center. Rows of apartments stood high and lofty, towering before them like a majestic altar.

Stepping out of the car, Clarity peered up as she and Lune arrived in front a building with the sign 'UNIT 4' on its front step.

"This is my place." Lune turned to her with a smile. "Again, thank you for everything."

After filling out all the registration forms anddealing with the medical specifications, Lune was discharged from the hospital. Now noon, less than seven hours remained until the start of BTS's second concert in Seoul.

As the younger girl turned around to enter her apartment, Clarity suddenly spoke up.

"Do you want to go to the concert together?"

Throughout the morning, Clarity had drafted an initial plan for the day; it involved keeping Lune Kim within her field of view—especially during nighttime—in order to stop her from attempting the ritual during the transitional period between tonight and Halloween.

Lune Kim seemed taken back by her abrupt question, but she soon responded with an affirmative smile.

"Alright, since the concert starts at seven, let's meet at five in front of the Gangnam Station. Sounds good?" Without further ado, Clarity took out her phone and punched in her number on the dial pad. "This is my number, so we can reach each other if something comes up."

"Got it," Lune added the contact information while filling in her own into Clarity's contact list.

Observing Lune Kim's back as she disappeared into the extravagant building, Clarity finally released of the tension in her shoulders.

With a soft sigh, she glanced up at the sunlight that illuminated the sky and prayed that everything would run smoothly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next update: wednesday


	46. Looping

The moment Clarity arrived home, she crashed headfirst onto her bed, relaxing as she sunk into the mattress.

The series of events left her both physically and mentally exhausted, and she decided to take a quick nap to catch up on the missed sleep from when she was at the hospital.

_Ringgggg!_

Eyes fluttering open, Clarity dragged herself up, smacking close the alarm on her phone. She glanced at the clock, which showed exactly 4PM. She sighed inwardly, noting how sleep always felt so short compared to the actual passed time.

"There's one hour left before the meeting time with Lune Kim..." she muttered.

Her apartment situated in an old neighbourhood. It was only a fifteen minute walk to the station, so time-wise she should be able to arrive on time if she left in thirty minutes.

Now with a clearer mind, Clarity quickly processed the mental math on preparation and travel distance.

She then recalled her lucid dream and the situation with Lune Kim, and she decided to head out now—just in case.

As she reached for the door, a series of rattling noises occurred behind her. Tensing up, Clarity spun around, only to see the shaking of the window frames by her bed. Assuming it was the wind, she reached past her bed towards the window handles to tighten the frames.

While doing this, she casually skimmed the outside area, expecting to be faced with a windy scenery and swaying trees. Instead, she was confronted with an unexpectedly tranquil view.

Clarity furrowed her brows. How was possible for the windows to be shaking when there was no wind?

Subconsciously, she glanced around some more, only for her blood to run cold as her gaze fixed onto the vast blue spread above her.

There were two suns hanging in the sky!

"What the..." With shrinking pupils, Clarity immediately stepped back.

Habitually, she pinched her own cheek in an attempt to make sure that she was not dreaming. However, there was no pain.

That means she was, indeed, dreaming!

_What in the world is going on?_

Shocked by the lucidity of her dream, Clarity looked around in bafflement as she suddenly sensed a presence behind her. Inhaling sharply, she spun around and landed her eyes onto the small figure that stood on her TATA pillow, leaning against her bed.

Yeontan the dog waved at her.

Clarity gaped.

"Holy shit." Unintentionally blurting out her inner thoughts, Clarity recalled the last encounter she had with the dog.

It was when she had fainted after taking a bullet from Senyu's men at the Underground Auction. During the period of unconsciousness, she had temporarily travelled back to this world and saw Yeontan by the window edge.

That wasn't a dream, after all!

"Y-Yeontan?!" She blinked. "You're really Yeontan?"

At her question, the dog scoffed—he actually scoffed, and shifted his furry ears.

"Of course not," Yeontan said with a mature, deep voice that contrasted with his fluffy appearance. "I only transformed into an appearance that is easily accepted by humans."

Clarity was at a loss. Her mind filled with a thousand questions that couldn't be formed into coherent words due to the impact of the shock.

Not expecting a response, "Yeontan" leisurely pressed his paw onto the TATA pillow a few times, before he comfortably laid down. As if he could read her mind, the dog glanced up at her and laughed.

"What did I say? Your role is still incomplete."

"But what role?" Clarity blurted out, still flabbergasted at the talking dog standing before her.

At that instant, something clicked in her mind.

"You were the one behind transmigration? What does it have something to do with Lune Kim?"

If her previous assumptions were correct, then her whole transmigration experience and encounter with Lune Kim was not a coincidence. She thought it was strange how she had met Lune Kim in this world right after her whole transmigration and events she experienced in the other world, but now it all made sense.

It was something planned by a higher entity!

Before she could say anything else, Yeontan spoke up. "Your speculations are correct," he said calmly, as if her inner thoughts were spoken out loud. "Your role is incomplete, but it is to be expected."

"To be expected?"

"After all, out of all of the trials, the cycle had never been broken. Not by you, nor anyone else."

From what the dog was saying, Clarity understood something:

She wasn't the only one who had experienced this situation.

"The universe needs a certain degree of equilibrium," the entity with Yeontan's appearance said thoughtfully. "However, that balance was broken when Lune Kim attempted a tabooed ritual, triggering an unprecedented cycle.

“The book became the vessel in which she used as a gate to surpass the worldly boundaries."

As Clarity listened to "Yeontan's" explanation in utter confusion, she couldn't help but ask out loud the question that had lingered in her mind for a long time.

"But why me?"

If what "Yeontan" was saying was true, that meant every time Lune Kim successfully attempted the ritual and transmigrated to the other world, the world would diverge into a new line, a new parallel universe. And from what she heard from the existence sitting before her, in each cycle, someone was fated to fall into the role of the Secretary and experience everything Clarity had experienced in the other world.

But that wasn’t enough to answer her question.

Of everyone who could have transmigrated, why her?

Noticing Clarity's contemplations, "Yeontan" let out a seemingly amused laughter, which sounded more like a bark coming from his small, furry figure.

"I suppose you were just unlucky," he replied.

"...What?"

Clarity slowly inhaled as she suppressed the urge to swear at the dog in front of her.

_In other words, my transmigration really occurred because I was reading fanfictions at three in the morning?_

_Was it because I came in contact with the world-travelling vessel, To Be His Possession, at the same time when a Lune Kim in another timeline was conducting the ritual?_

_And that caused me to be affected by the thinning barriers between different worlds, hence becoming the next Secretary?_

"The Bangtan members would never stop teasing at me if they heard about this..." Clarity didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

However, she soon realized another problem.

She now knew that every time Lune Kim conducted the transmigration ritual, there would be a new parallel universe, and if no one stopped her from doing so, the cycle would presumably continue on for eternity.

According to "Yeontan," each cycle would involve someone like Clarity who would transmigrate by chance to stop the repeat from happening. However, none of the rounds have yet led to success.

Following this trail of thought, it meant that the reason why she returned to this timeline was to prevent the same thing from happening to this Lune Kim. If the latter's ritual succeeded, then another person in another world would be affected, taking Clarity's place and continuing the cycle.

Subconsciously, she gulped. "It's a loop..."

A short moment of silence inundated the room as "Yeontan" stopped leaning on the TATA pillow.

"It was supposed to be," he said.

Ignoring Clarity's look of confusion, he straightened his back, and with a complicated gaze, he turned to observe at the two suns outside her window.

"But it seems that there's now another variable."

"What do you mean by that?" Clarity asked.

The dog did not respond. Instead, he turned towards her with a shrug:

“You have a choice.

"Although your role is incomplete, not doing anything will not put your life in danger. Rather, if you wish, you can live your life as it is, forgetting that the transmigration has ever happened. After all, your existence in this world can not be affected by the events in the alternate universe that would unfold due to the Lune Kim's actions.

"Ultimately, it is up to you to decide what you will do."

"Yeontan" sighed as he glanced at the two suns that now seemed a bit closer to each other.

"If I break the loop"—light flashed in Clarity's eyes as she looked towards him—"would I be able to return to that world?"

At her question, "Yeontan" tilted his head. "You made it back like you originally wanted, but now you want to go back?"

"I don't belong here," she said after a long silence. "Someone is waiting for me in another world."

In this world, BTS was her everything. But at the same time, the group was also the "everything" to millions of others. Clarity was aware of the distance between them from her heart, and she knew to not cross it.

RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook—they were the seven members of BTS, people comparable to the blossoms of life on the first day of spring. They would inspire hundreds and thousands and millions to come, prompting growth in their fans while simultaneously bettering themselves.

However, things was different in the other world.

The bond between her and the members of Bangtan Co was different; rather than role models, they were families.

She thought about Taehyung, her Taehyung.

The V in this world was loved by millions, but the Taehyung in the other world was different. She thought about his deep but soft eyes, about how they would occasionally be filled with an indescribable sense of melancholy. She thought about the night she was kidnapped by Senyu, and how Taehyung had pleaded for her to stay.

During their time together, Taehyung had always made sure that she was happy, that she was safe, but in Clarity's eyes, it often felt as if he was the one that would break any moment.

He was waiting for her—Clarity was sure of it.

This was why she had to return.

"If I stop Lune Kim from conducting the ritual, will I get to see Taehyung again?" She looked towards "Yeontan," who seemed to smile inwardly at her question.

"That is up to you. However, the decision would have to be made tonight." He paused. "Tonight is when everything will change."

"No need. I've already decided," Clarity said.

With a glint in his round eyes, "Yeontan" peered up towards the sky. "Is that so..."

At that moment, the space around them trembled, responding to her words. Walls, windows, ceiling—her room simultaneously shattered into a million pieces, flying around like uncontrollable particles in the air.

Witnessing different pieces scattering around her, Clarity could feel the dream coming to an end.

* * *

4:25 P.M.

The long table in the V.I.P. lounge was filled with all types of foods and beverages. After snacking on several of the mouth-watering varieties, the members of BTS entered the final preparation stage of their concert that was in less than three hours.

Jimin and J-Hope reviewed their choreography in the corner of the room while Suga observed them from the couch, music booming in the headphone over his ears. Namjoon recited the welcoming speech silently to himself, ignoring the ruckus caused by Jungkook and Jin, who were in the middle of attempting a TikTok video (recommended to them by their younger friends, the TXT members).

_Clash!_

The sudden noise caused all six members to turn their heads simultaneously, fixing their gaze on the source of the sound.

Shattered shards of glass exploded on the ground, making the grey surface sparkle like diamonds. Positioned at the center of the scene was Taehyung, whose hand still maintained the same position as when it was holding the glass cup.

The room fell silent as the members peered towards the man who, for some reason, stood frozen as if he was in a trance.

"...Taehyung?" Jimin furrowed his brows after noticing the odd state of his soulmate.

Taehyung did not reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> big reveal! what did you think of it? what happened to Taehyung?!!
> 
> next update: friday:)


	47. Him

Under the concerned gaze of the six members, Taehyung parted his lips as though he wanted to say something, only for no sound to emerge. His round eyes widened in a trance-like manner.

Seeing the singer's odd state, Jin approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Taehyung flinched as he turned to confront his apprehensive eyes.

"Are you not feeling well?" Jin frowned.

His voice echoed in his ears, ringing like distant bells. Processing the sonorous tone, Taehyung casted his gaze down at the hand on his shoulder, then at the eldest's concerned expression. "Seokjin... _hyung_."

He then stumbled a bit, as a result from the nudge on his side. It belonged to the youngest member, who stared at him with an arched brow.

"You look possessed. I almost mistaken you for a zombie," Jungkook said with a sigh. "Drink coffee or something. It's because you have almost no caffeine intake despite all our exhaustive rehearsals. This is why you doze off everywhere and all the time!"

"Jungkook's right." Suga shrugged in agreement. "Even if you don't like the taste, coffee's a necessity."

Beside the two, J-Hope let out an amused chuckle.

"Suga's qualified to say this since he lives on coffee—but Jungkookie?" He turned towards the youngest. "You only drink banana milk."

"I do not!" Pouting at his merciless exposure, Jungkook folded his arms in front of him, flopped back onto the couch, and downed another container of banana milk.

The members were brought out of their chatters by RM, who clapped to gather their attention. The leader quickly skimmed around the room, nodding to himself after ensuring that everyone's eyes were on him.

"The concert's starting in less than two hours. We will go over the program overview one more time, then we're off to the backstage." After securing a few nods, he continued, "Remember: embrace the love and support from ARMYs, and in return, give them the best concert experience possible. This is the finale for our world tour. Let's give it our all!"

At the leader's words of encouragement, the members hollered out their signature group cheer. They pumped their fist simultaneously, while Suga lazily gestured a thumbs up to represent his enthusiasm.

"Namjoon- _hyung_ , I'm going to head out to get some air." Taehyung said to RM as he turned towards the door.

"Alright." RM nodded. "Make sure you let me know if you're not feeling well in anyway."

The former responded with a faint smile as he exited the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Clarity's eyes shot open as she sat up straight from her bed. Glancing around her, she pushed herself past the mattress edge and peered into the single sun that hung brimming above the blue sky.

Reaffirming that she was back in reality, she looked at the time on her phone—4:25 P.M..

With only half an hour until the meeting time with Lune Kim, she quickly packed her stuff and headed out to the station.

By the time she arrived to the destination, it was 4:55 P.M.. As there were still five minutes left, Clarity hung around the subway area that bustled with people, taking a glimpse here and there for any signs of a short-haired girl with glasses. As time passed, however, Clarity still saw no signs of Lune Kim, and a sense of apprehension arose within her.

She peeked at the clock. 5:15 P.M..

Fifteen minutes have passed since their originally planned meeting time, but Lune Kim was still nowhere to be seen. The corners of her lips lowering, Clarity glanced around some more. Did Lune Kim confuse the meeting spot to in front of Seoul Olympic Stadium rather than Gangnam Station?

Unwilling to overlook this possibility, Clarity decided to ride the subway to the stadium to have a look. After all, it was a short subway distance between the two, being less than fifteen minutes.

Thirteen minutes later, Clarity stood in front of the familiar stadium that she had visited a day ago. Excited ARMYs roamed all around her, some danced BTS choreography like professionals, some set up booths to give out free banners and fan art.

Pulling her phone out of her bag, Clarity dialled Lune Kim's number, only for it to reach voice mail. Frowning, she tried more three times before giving up as she reached the same results.

_What's going on?_

She first considered the chances of Lune Kim deciding to conduct the ritual earlier, but concluded that it was an unlikely outcome. Her line of reasoning came from the core motivation of the ritual, which was to transmigrate. Lune Kim had chosen the intersectional night between October 30th and 31st in consideration of the day’s spiritual nature. There was no reason for her to push forward her schedule to risk a higher chance of failure.

With this possibility eliminated, Clarity then thought about Lune Kim's personal life. In their first encounter, Lune Kim had missed the fansign due to her wallet being stolen. The same night, she was cornered in an alleyway, and nearly lost her life after being pushed to the middle of the road.

Was it all a coincidence?

Could it be that Lune Kim was caught up in something again?

She suspected that Lune Kim was a victim of school harassment in this world, hence she had advised her last night to call the police. However, thinking back, it seemed that the high school girl didn't take her words to heart.

As she allowed her mind to wander, Clarity searched around some more before arriving at the corridors by the stadium entrance.

Beyond the automated doors was the lobby area, where she had waited in line for the fansign yesterday. Since most of the staff and attendees scattered around the area, either engaging in concert planning or stationing at the merchandise booth, the lobby remained relatively empty.

At that moment, Clarity made her her mind. She was going to return to Lune Kim's apartment to check if she was there. Even though there was a chance that she would miss the concert, this wasn’t something she could risk overlooking.

As she turned around to leave, her vision blurred black, and Clarity crashed head first into another figure who was turning around the corner. At the abrupt collision, both sides stepped back in bewilderment, with the latter's hood falling behind him, revealing his light-coloured hair.

"...Suga?"

Dumbfounded, Clarity blinked at the man standing before her, only to cover her mouth as she realized that they were in a public area.

"You are..." It took the rapper a few seconds to recall her face. After identifying her identity to be the hospital girl last night, he visible relaxed.

With a tilt of the head, he gestured her to a discreet corner of the room.

Aside from some staffs and a few ARMYs, the spacious lobby was sparse with people. Cautiously taking note of her surroundings, she made sure that no one was listening before lowering her voice. "Aren't you supposed to be in the backstage?"

The concert was in exactly an hour!

At the rapper's uneasy expression, Clarity knew something was off and her own expression stiffened.

"What's wrong?"

Suga looked around apprehensively and spoke in a low voice, "Taehyung's gone missing."

Clarity's heart dropped.

"We can't find him anywhere."

In the quiet space, Suga's voice carried with it an ominous foreboding.

* * *

The next thing she knew, Clarity was running.

Her legs carried her aimlessly around the entire stadium, through the corridors, past the rows of merchandise booths, and onto the bustling streets. She didn't know where she was going. She just ran.

Deep down, Clarity knew that the Taehyung in this world was different from his counterpart, but she still panicked nonetheless after hearing his disappearance.

She didn't know if she would be able to find him, but she had to try.

From what Suga had told her, the other members were in an emergency meeting with Big Hit in discussing a plan to deal with this dire situation. The majority leaned towards the option of releasing an official statement to push back the concert without revealing Taehyung's disappearance. If the press and the fans learned that a BTS member had gone missing, it would inevitable cause panic.

They didn't have time to deal with the outside voices—finding Taehyung was their top priority.

Thousands of thoughts flashed through her mind as Clarity raced past the sea of people. Her eyes darted left and right, breath heaving as her heart pounded ferociously in her chest.

After running for who-knew-how-long, Clarity found herself in a distance area behind the main stadium. After expanding her scope of searching beyond the concert area and towards the surrounding streets, Clarity arrived at the isolated part of the parking lot that was devoid of people.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Clarity wiped the sweat off her forehead as she observed her surroundings, only to find the formation of the setting to be eerily familiar. After a few seconds of thinking, she realized where the feeling came from.

This setup reminded her of the Underground Auction!

Observing her surroundings once more, Clarity ascertained this thought. This desolate area looked identical to the place where she got into a car with the Bangtan members after the bombing of the auction hall.

Her heart did a flip as this information instigated a new train of thought. In the alternate universe, the Underground Auction hall was in place of the Seoul Olympic stadium in this world. Although the infrastructures were different, the make up of their corresponding geographic regions was fundamentally the same.

In other words, apart from humans, the locations in the other world would also have corresponding counterparts here, and they would be in similar areas!

At these speculations, Clarity considered about the one possibility that she subconsciously avoided until now.

She recalled Suga's description of Taehyung's state before he vanished, and about how he had acted in a way considered odd for his usual self. Her breath quickened.

"Could it be..?"

* * *

The sun lingered on the horizon, colouring the world with dashes of gold and brilliance.

Closing the car door behind her, Clarity watched the taxi fade into the distance before turning to the site before her.

At that moment, she was overcome by nostalgia.

Casting her gaze upwardly, Clairty half-expected to see the majestic iron gates, the grandiose building comparable to the White House, the cherry blossom tree that swayed in the gentle breeze...

There was none of that.

Instead, what was supposed to be the Bangtan mansion was replaced with a tall, worn out building, towering over her like a lonely giant, like a single beanstalk amidst an endless desert. Aside from Clarity, not a single person was in sight.

Beside the run-down infrastructure stood a sign stuck in layers of dirt. Four bold words printed on the sign.

**PLANNED DEMOLITION: NEXT SPRING.**

"...What was I expecting." Clarity could only smile bitterly as she took in the consequences of her impulsive action.

_Where would Kim Taehyung in the other world be most likely to go?_

With this question in mind, she had came here on a whim after thinking about Taehyung's abnormalities. Even during the anxious car-ride, Clarity retained a sliver of hope that she would arrive to see the Bangtan mansion, standing great and mighty as it had always done.

"I must be losing my mind. This is a whole other world we're talking about." Shaking her head, Clarity sighed inwardly before withdrawing her gaze from the building.

Her actions came to a sudden halt as she caught a tinge of black from the corner of her vision. It belonged to an emerging shadow on the second floor of the abandoned building. Clarity froze on the spot as she narrowed her eyes, taking a moment to ascertain the existence.

A familiar figure.

His curls stuck out like vines in the wilderness, enlarged in the shadows casted by the light of dusk. Under the golden sky, his black blazer fit—made for the concert's opening scene—glistened majestically as its rims fluttered behind him, carried by the light breeze. 

With a mystified aura around him, Taehyung looked like a prince from a desolate fairytale as he peered out from the rundown building’s balcony on the second floor.

Confusion, joy, bafflement—Clarity was hit with a barrage of conflicting emotions.

Sure, she had arrived to what was Bangtan's mansion in the other world in thoughts of taking a chance, but she wasn't expecting the BTS member, V, to actually be here.

She wanted to say something, anything, but Clarity found herself unable to muster out a single syllable. Amidst her confusion, she realized there was something fundamentally wrong with this situation.

In fact, why was V here?

At that moment, her wondering eyes met his darkened ones, and the latter's expression visibly stiffened. The brimming rays of light reflected upon his face, and something flashed in his eyes.

As if it was an act of magic, each passing second expanded into separate frames as the world around them slowed down. Unable to take her eyes away, Clarity watched as Taehyung's lips moved to form a single word:

 _Clarity_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter: sunday :)


	48. The Storm

For a second, Clarity was convinced that she lost it.

Taehyung called her name again, and she then thought she was hallucinating. While she did have several encounters with Kim Taehyung—V—in this world, never once did he ask for her name.

It was when the black-haired man leaped from the second balcony that she realized that it really was him.

After all, no sane person in this world would jump off from the second floor just like that.

Taehyung's agile body skillfully carried him to the cobbled ground. Thanks to the physiques of a dancer, he could use his body to support seemingly inhuman movements, allowing him securely to land on his feet.

Clarity froze on the spot as she watched the man walk towards her, stopping only when they were a meter apart.

Confounded by the current situation, she mustered out the first thing on her mind.

"I don't recall drinking..."

Taking in her blank expression, Taehyung brushed his black hair to the side of his face with a soft chuckle, his breathy voice causing Clarity's heart to do a flip. The rims of her eyes reddened as she stared at the man standing before her.

"Taehyung..."

Taehyung sighed, a faint smile on his face.

"As always, you're driving me crazy."

As he said that, the man reached for her waist, pulled her body towards him, then to close the final distance, he pressed his lips onto hers.

The stream of movements connected to one another seamlessly, with such familiarity that Clarity immediately sunk into the kiss, embracing the happiness, pain, yearning—everything. At that moment, they coexisted with the world of chaos, yet tranquil as though they were at the eye of a storm.

After parting from the kiss, Taehyung cupped her cheeks with his large hands. Pain flashed in his eyes after seeing the tears streaming down her face. With his thumb, he gently wiped a droplet away, then another, and another.

"Hey, don't cry." He spoke with a tone that was deep yet soft.

If his voice wasn't trembling as he said this, Clarity would have thought that Taehyung was scolding her and cried harder.

"It really is you..." Sniffling, she raised her hand to touch his.

Although her eyes bleared with messy tears, she could see clearly the man in front of her. His eyes, dark like the obsidian, now embodied a familiar light, and Clarity could see herself reflected within them.

"But how...how is this possible?" She stammered.

With his warm hands rubbing against her palm, everything felt like a dream.

"I'm not sure," Taehyung said softly. "For these few days, I felt as if I was having an intermittent dream. Sometimes, I would be barely conscious, while other times, the passing events would be abnormally clear. I felt like a spectator, watching every fleeting moment in its passing."

His words poured into her ears like a bucket of ice, clearing her mind immediately as Clarity was reminded of their current situation. She recalled the words of "Yeontan," and how he had mentioned the presence of another variable.

He was talking about Taehyung!

"Is this your world? The one you came from?" Taehyung's deep voice interrupted her thoughts, and Clarity nodded in affirmation to his question.

A thought suddenly occurred to her, and Clarity frantically whipped out her phone. It was exactly 6:30 P.M..

She subconsciously bit down on her lips as she took in the current dilemma. The concert was supposed to start in thirty minutes. Did Suga and the others managed to figure out a way to push back the event?

She glanced apprehensively at Taehyung. No matter how talented the man was, she doubted that he would be able to learn a two-hour long set list of BTS choreographies and transform into a professional performer in thirty minutes.

This contemplation ignited a new thought, causing to Clarity jolt on the spot. Without warning, she reached out, running her hands all over Taehyung's body as if conducting a body check.

The latter's eyes widened as she patted him from top to bottom, especially scrutinizing the area around his arms and his chest. While she did that, the raven-haired man's expression gradually transformed from its initial state of confusion to amusement.

"It's less prominent, but the abs are still there," Taehyung said teasingly. "This body is also very fit."

Clarity's cheeks darkened at his shameless statement, and she smacked him on the back.

"I wasn't looking for that!" In a state of fluster, she ignored Taehyung's intrigued look and glanced at him. "Are your wounds okay?"

She was talking about the injuries he sustained in the confrontation with Senyu.

Taehyung paused for a second to contemplate her question.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "But since I'm currently in this body, I feel fine."

Before Clarity could nag him about taking care of himself, his expression suddenly darkened as he was reminded of something.

"Something strange happened when I was alternating between my murky states of consciousness," he said, subconsciously frowning. "There was a dog in my dream."

Clarity's eyes widened at this information as she immediately realized that Taehyung was talking about "Yeontan."

"The dog told me all types of things, from Senyu's CEO and alternate universes to a supposed 'loop' in the current events." Taehyung softly tapped his chin as he recalled their conversations.

_Speaking of "Yeontan," Lune Kim is still nowhere to be found..._

As she thought about the missing highschool student that was the key to this loop, Clarity turned to Taehyung with a stern expression. "We need to stop Lune Kim from conducting the ritual at all cost."

Taehyung, accustomed to the dynamic nature of missions and new situations, quickly caught on. Without asking any questions, he nodded in agreement.

Without wasting time, the two of them grabbed hold of a taxi, stating their destination as the extravagant Gangnam neighbourhood.

The moment they got into the vehicle, Clarity made Taehyung take out his phone and sent out a message to the BTS members to let them know that he was okay. With her rich background in making excuses in school, Clarity drafted the explanation that Taehyung's unannounced leave was due to an emergency, and he would explain everything when the problem was resolved.

Frankly, she doubted that the explanation would happen, but it was the best excuse she could come up with for now.

On their way to Lune Kim's dwelling, the taxi drove through a vast bridge. From the side window, Clarity gazed at the sun that lowered below the horizon. Its golden lights ripped through the reflection on the large water body, and its descent was soon followed by a torrent of darkening clouds.

Before they knew it, they were driving through a violent downpour.

Clarity opened her phone to check Twitter, just in time to witness Big Hit's official statement regarding the concert. The company had announced that it would be rescheduled due to Seoul's weather warnings.

Glancing out the raging storm outside, Clarity didn't know whether to call this a fortunate change or a turn for the worse.

In that instant, an ominous streak of lightning struck a building from a distance, illuminating her vision.

Flinching on her seat, she subconsciously clung onto the arm of the raven-haired man sitting beside her. The afterimage of the blinding light unfocused her vision, and Clarity found herself trembling.

"Taehyung...?" She gulped.

"I'm here," Taehyung replied.

The warmness of his voice sent a wave of reassurance, calming Clarity's chaotic mind.

Silently, they sat close to each other in the taxi that was now driving in darkness. Countless droplets of rain splattered against the window, and the wheezing wind hollered in the background. Clarity let out a shaky sigh as she focused on the warmth of Taehyung's hands. She could feel it:

The end was near.

* * *

Surges of rainfall plunged towards their vision the moment Taehyung opened the car door. Stepping out, he shielded an arm over Clarity as she stumbled off the car after him.

As the taxi drove away, they turned to face the infrastructure towering before them. The sign on the building showed 'UNIT 4'.

Scanning the residence list posted on the window, Clarity quickly ascertained Lune Kim's name on the thirteenth floor. Exchanging a glance with each other, Clarity and Taehyung entered the elevator. As the floor number steadily rose one after another, Clarity found herself shuddering from the cold.

Noticing her state, Taehyung took off his own jacket and draped it over her trembling body. The oversized sleeves covered her hands, causing her to look a head shorter.

"No matter what happens, you have to be on guard," he said, bending down as he pushed a strand of Clarity's hair behind her ears. "Right now, my physical state is not much different from my original body, but it's different for you. Please, don't be reckless."

Clarity didn't maintain her usual stubbornness and nodded.

“Same to you," she said, tugging his hand firmly. "If things go wrong, we call the police and run! The authorities are trustworthy in this world."

As a proper citizen in this world, she planned on taking advantage of law and order!

Taehyung, a mafia member, arched a brow at her suggestion to call the police for help, but eventually exhaled with a smile.

"Got it."

_Ding!_

The elevator doors slid open in sync with his words that dissipated into the air. There was only one apartment on this floor, making things much easier for the two of them.

While Taehyung stood on-guard for any potential threat, Clarity pressed onto the electronic doorbell, and a melodious ring rang out from the other side of the door. A few seconds passed as they waited in silence.

No answer.

She tried a second time but still received no response. A frown reached her lips as she subconsciously furrowed her brows.

Casually stealing a glance at Taehyung, Clarity almost gasped out loud as the man was about to bust the door open with one kick.

Frantic, Clarity stopped him just in time and shook her head like a sideways bobble head. "Taehyung, that's illegal."

Taehyung blinked twice at the girl telling him—someone all too familiar with murder—to not commit something illegal.

Repressing her urge to laugh at the man’s dumbfounded expression, Clarity cleared her throat. "You're in the body of V—a world famous artist."

She mustered a smile.

"Try not to get arrested for property damage?"

Seeing his nod, Clarity sighed in relieve. She then reached for the door, resorting to the method of knocking. As her hand contacted the surface, however, Clarity realized that the door was unlocked!

Clarity stiffened as she glimpsed at Taehyung, who was already in combat-mode.

Immediately alert, she unknowingly held her breath as she pushed open the door, only to be confronted with a horrendous scene.

The entire apartment was overwhelmed with darkness, but even that wasn't enough to hide its chaotic state. Rushing in from the open balcony, a mixture of wind and rain surfed towards their direction. Countless goosebumps prickled on her skin.

_What's going on?_

Clarity stared at the scene in front of them with bafflement.

Before she stepped foot into the room, however, Taehyung had grabbed onto her wrist, pulling her back out. He stepped in front of her, his eyes sharp with caution.

"The smell of blood."

"What...?" Clarity's own blood ran cold at his word, which was instantly followed by a whiff of metallic sourness that entered her nose, carrying a wave of nausea into her senses.

Her first thought was that someone died in there.

Her second thought was to call the police.

Without a moment of hesitation, Clarity whipped out the phone and punched in the three digits.

Regardless of what happened in Lune Kim's apartment, she knew it wasn’t a good sign. If her initial thought proved to be correct, the death would be either Lune Kim herself or someone she knew. Neither option was a pretty situation.

After a few rings, the call got through and a voice appeared in the other side of the line.

"Seoul police force here. What is your emergency?"

The moment she heard the voice of the police officer, Clarity poured out the surge of information from the current situation.

The storm outside disrupted the signal from time to time, but she managed to spill out most of the relevant information before the line cut off halfway.

Swallowing nervously, Clarity prayed that help would arrive in time.

"The polices are on their way," she said to Taehyung, who nodded in return.

As she was about to suggest for them to wait outside, a hollow cry echoed from the inside of the apartment, and Clarity instantly felt the chills.

Someone was in the apartment, and they were still alive!

With her heart pounding wildly in her chest, Clarity glanced Taehyung, and the two exchanged a nod.

They stepped into the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how did you find this chapter? let me know in the comments!
> 
> next update: wednesday


	49. The Truth

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Drops of liquid splattered onto the ground, sending a hollow reverberation throughout the room.

Taehyung stepped forth, only for the soles of his boots to sink into a thin puddle.

A puddle of blood.

A metallic stench wafted around the room, and if it weren't for what Clarity experienced in the other world, she would have puked on the spot. Deeper into the apartment, the stagnant cries intensified as they approached the living room—it came from behind the counter!

In the dark space, Clarity didn't dare to turn on the light, since there was a chance that the culprit of this situation may still be in the room. She stole a glance at Taehyung, and the latter gestured for her to stay behind as he approached the counter.

With soundless steps, he didn't call out to the person that was behind the counter, breathing heavily. Instead, the man swiftly jumped onto the marbled surface.

Without warning, he plunged downwards, wrapping his arm around the figure's neck, muffling the scream that had barely escaped her mouth.

It was a high-pitched, feminine voice. Sweeping his cold gaze over the struggling figure, Taehyung raised his free arm to knock her out, only to be stopped by Clarity.

Taking advantage of her constrained state, Clarity swiftly circled around the counter with a roll of tape, sealing the woman's movements completely as she wrapped the tape around her wrists and ankle.

The woman, appearing to be in her late teens, laid limp behind the counter, pupils constricted with fear. Silently trembling, she peeked at the two strangers through her messy bangs, part of which were sluggishly coated with blood. Her face, stricken with tears, contorted with patches of dried red.

"Lune Kim?" Taehyung's alert gaze fixed onto the girl on the ground, allowing no room for escape.

"It's not her." Clarity shook her head after observing the girl's features.

Her eyes soon widened, however, as she somehow recognized the familiar face. Although she was not acquainted with the girl, she knew her from somewhere.

_...The concert day!_

If her memories were correct, she was one of the three girls who Clarity had happened to notice while she was sitting by the bench. She remembered them especially well, since she had been in a hyper alerted state after hearing the unknown voice, who she now knew belonged to "Yeontan."

Her eyes narrowed at the girl before her.

_She's acquainted with Lune Kim?_

Thanks to Taehyung's daunting presence, the girl didn't dare to move. Cautiously, Clarity bent over to level herself with the trembling body.

"What happened here?" she asked.

Her question seemed to incite a rush of desperation as the girl instantly jolted up. If it weren't for the tape restraining her wrists, Clarity thought she would grab right onto her.

"Please get me out of here," she pleaded.

Despite her exasperated state, the girl spoke with a clear mind. It was then Clarity realized that the blood smeared on her face did not belong to her.

"Where did the blood come from?" Clarity asked again.

"I-it wasn't me. I just wanted to mess with her, but she suddenly went insane! She's insane!" The girl stammered, thoughts disrupted as she fell into a state of discombobulation.

Clarity inhaled sharply at her words, then narrowed her eyes. "Where's Lune Kim?"

"No, no! Lune, forgive me. I'm sorry! I won't do it again, I promise. I-I'll leave you alone!"

The girl seemed to subconsciously filter out Clarity's words as she started to shake uncontrollably on the spot. Her eyes subconsciously shifted from Clarity to the direction towards the balcony and her eyes instantly filled with fear.

"Help! Help!"

Noticing the girl's worsening mental situation, Clarity exchanged a knowing glance with Taehyung, who immediately knocked her out. From how things were looking, the best course of action was to silence the girl so she does not lose control and create a ruckus before the police's arrival.

It was at that moment.

A surge of gust blew into the room, causing Clarity and Taehyung to both direct their gaze towards the balcony. Beyond the swaying curtains was a silhouette, standing solemnly under the darkened sky.

Hair flying wildly in the wind, Lune Kim leaned half of her body over the ledge as she peered upwards. In her right hand was a notebook, drooling with crimson blood while her left hand pressed onto the edge of the metal railing. 

_It's Lune Kim, but she seemed normal just hours ago..._

_What happened in this short span of time?_

With many thoughts spiralling in her mind, Clarity took a step forward, and the faint sound caused Lune Kim to spin around instantly. Upon seeing Clarity, her face first contorted with shock, then sternness after noticing the man behind her.

"...You said you did not know him." Lune stiffened. "You liar."

Clarity didn't bother to argue with her, because she knew Lune Kim was not in a proper state of mind at the moment. Suspecting that the unconscious girl behind the counter was her friend, or maybe bully, there was no way of knowing if there were more people hidden in the apartment, nor if any of them were injured.

Clarity rose her arms, facing her palms in a surrendering gesture as she looked towards Lune Kim with a wary smile.

"I thought we were going to watch the concert together? You're not the one to skip out on this." She purposely raised her voice to direct the girl's attention onto herself. "Anything can be solved with a BTS concert."

As she spoke, Clarity stole a glimpse towards Taehyung. With this single movement, the two immediate reached an unspoken agreement and the man merged with the shadows, disappearing into the background.

"It's too late." Lune casted her eyes down with a bitter laugh. "Everything is too late. I thought that no matter what those people did to me, I could endure it all."

“It's not too la—"

"It is!" She cried. "After meeting BTS, after the car crash, I thought things would change. I thought I would finally be lucky!"

Lune Kim gritted her teeth as she took in the chaos around her. Surrounded by ripped papers, scattered furnitures, and broken BTS albums lying on the ground, she pointed towards the counter, towards the unconscious girl that had cowered in fear after witnessing her bloodied state.

"She wanted to take everything away from me. You want to take everything away! All of you!" With tears flowing from the corner of her eyes, she threw her arm out in exasperation.

As she did that, Clarity noticed an enormous gash on Lune's arm, and bright red flowed out from the protruding flesh in continuous streams.

"Let's talk this out, okay?" Clarity inhaled slowly. "You're injured."

Lune Kim looked at her in confusion, then she glanced at her own arm.

"This?" Her eyes curled with a smile.

Without waiting her response, Lune grabbed a glass shard on the ground and dug into a smooth section where the skin was still intact. Ignoring Clarity's gasp, she dragged the shard through her skin, watching as bloody flesh ripped out from the widening gap.

More blood trickled down, falling onto the notebook in her hand.

Despite the horrendous sight, Lune Kim did not flinch. Instead, she raised her arm and let the fresh crimson flow onto a blank page of the notebook, tainting patterns onto the page of white.

After soaking countless pages of the notebook with blood, she ripped off the last blank page and tossed the rest of the notebook aside. Sliding on the ground, the notebook landed face up near Clarity's peripheral vision. She didn't pick up the notebook in fear of agitating the girl, and instead discreetly fixed her gaze onto the open pages.

A gust of wind brushed between them, causing the pages of the notebook to flip continuously in a fluttering motion.

Clarity's pupils shrunk after seeing its content. She clearly recalled that some pages had been empty when Lune Kim held on to it moments ago, but now, completely soaked with the girl's blood, countless words formed sentences, then paragraphs. The next thing she knew, pages of content were surfacing by themselves.

What's more, the contents were from no other than _To Be His Possession._

Her breath hitched in her throat as Clarity immediately realized what this meant:

This notebook was the physical vessel that connected the two worlds!

Logically speaking, transmigration was forbidden as each world had its own set of governing rules and regulations. Each person belonged in their respective worlds, and there was a barrier that could not be crossed.

However, what would happen if someone forcibly fused themselves into another world?

There was blood all around them. Splattered on the walls, smeared into the floor, covering patches of furniture—all this blood belonged to Lune Kim. It was a miracle that she was still alive, let alone conscious.

Clarity's face darkened as she was hit with a realization.

Why have all previous attempts to stop the transmigration cycle end in failure?

If Lune Kim's actions right now were part of the required steps for the ritual, then even if she were to succeed, her life would be in grave danger. It was extremely likely that the transmigrator's true body would die in this world. The expense of the ritual was the practitioner's life?

Rituals were practices that broke the limitation between worlds. The Lune Kim in the other world, occupying Bang Si-Hyuk's body, wanted to repeat the ritual in order to transmigrated back to her original world. However, Clarity now knew that it wouldn't be possible—the reason was simple:

In her old world, Lune Kim would already be dead.

At the same time, this realization led to another conclusion.

If it was the ritual practitioner's death that marked the failure of stopping the loop, then the same would apply to the current situation. If Lune Kim died now, her soul would successfully transmigrate and the cycle would inevitably continue.

She could not let Lune Kim die no matter what.

As if detecting her shifting intentions, Lune spun around and tilted backwards from the balcony railing in a motion to embrace death. In her left hand was the last page of the notebook, which was still blank in its contents.

"Stop! You'll really die!" Clarity subconsciously reached forward, only to freeze as Lune Kim pressed her back against the balcony railing, threatening to jump.

At her exasperated yell, the latter smiled faintly.

"I know."

Howling wind surrounded the two of them as Lune Kim spoke with an abnormal calmness.

To activate the ritual effects, the user needed to fill every single page with their blood. As for the last page, it would only be fully filled when the user bleeds through in a life-and-death situation. Only then would they successfully transmigrate. For Lune Kim, that wasn't a problem.

Nothing could stop her resolve to transmigrate, to escape this living hell.

"Stop!" Clarity subconsciously reached forward, only to freeze as Lune Kim pressed her back against the balcony railing, threatening to jump.

"The ritual was originally planned for tomorrow, but it wouldn't make too big of a difference at this point." She clenched her fist and the blood streamed faster down her arm. "With this, I can finally escape from this world, and be reborn."

Lips curling into a desperate smile, Lune toppled over the balcony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next update: friday


	50. Live

Clarity extended her arm towards Lune Kim's falling body.

The space around her distorted as everything started to flow in slow motion. All she could see was her reaching hand, trailing further at further behind. In that instant, memories that did not belong to her flooded through her mind.

They were memories of the past transmigrators' failures of stopping the ritual.

Some would be on streets, others would occur in mountains. Some in apartments like this one, others in alleyways. However, regardless of the setting and situation, every single one ended the exact way as the current scene that was unfolding before Clarity's eyes.

A outstretched arm, a failed interference.

Gritting her teeth, she reached harder, but Lune Kim's body was already half off the balcony.

At this rate, she couldn't reach her in time!

"Good bye." Lune closed her eyes, letting gravity push her down.

She thought everything was finally over. She thought that the next time she woke up, everything would be alright. Her mind dispersed as she readied herself for the impact of the ground, of her new life.

However, that moment never arrived.

Instead of falling down, she was halted by a force from behind, restricting her movements instantly.

The forced belonged to none other than Taehyung, who had made his way below the balcony through another window after ascertaining that there were no other hidden victims in the apartment. Using the opening as Lune Kim was about to fall, the black-haired man emerged from the railings, reached out, and pushed her away from the the balcony.

Lune Kim inhaled sharply as her body contacted the floor in front of her, sliding against the cemented ground. Before she could process what was going on, her bloodied arms twisted backwards and an intense pain shot through her mind.

Taehyung shoved her stomach to the floor with one knee while he angled her arms backwards, locking her wrists together with his large hands. He knocked the glass shard and crumbled paper away from her hands and pressed her entire face to the floor, so that one cheek was stuck to the cold apartment ground. Lune kicked around and flailed her arms all over in an attempt to escape from the restrictions. Although she was only a highschool student, she moved with an inhuman force that even Taehyung was shocked at how strong she was.

Despite Lune Kim's relentless struggling, however, she found herself unable to escape.

Amidst the chaos, her eyes subconsciously locked onto the last page from the notebook that laid soundless on the tiled floor.

Following the direction of her gaze, Clarity immediately noticed the piece of paper, and without hesitation, retrieved the paper away from Lune's sight.

Countless voices echoed in her head as she held the last page in one hand and the notebook in the other. Clarity knew that the cries inundating her mind were from the many who died committing the ritual, and the countless people who failed to stop it from happening.

In that moment, she understood what she had to do.

Subconsciously, she turned towards the black haired man. As if aware of her inner thoughts, Taehyung gave her a faint nod.

Biting the insides of her cheeks, Clarity inhaled sharply as she held both objects up against the moonlight seeping in against the window. Hollering gust rushed in the apartment one wave after another, attempting to halt her from conducting the next actions in her mind. However, no matter how intensely the wind blew, the notebook pages in her hand didn't sway at all.

" _NO_!" Lune Kim was screaming at this point as her screech pierced through the cold air.

Clarity did not react to her pleadings. Eyes glowing under the raging night, she jerked her arms in opposite directions, ripping the notebook pages apart all at once. A burst of energy erupted from her actions, sending backwards positioned within its vicinity.

Stumbling back from the surging force, Clarity lost her balance and crashed against the edge of the couch.

"Clarity!" Taehyung's pupils shrunk as he jerked his head towards her direction as his grasp on Lune Kim momentarily loosened.

"I'm, I'm okay." Clarity breathed heavily, mustering a gesture of reassurance.

Using the moment of freedom, Lune Kim pushed past the black-haired man's restraints and scampered towards the torn notebook and ripped pieces of paper on the ground.

The notebook, scattered into pieces, lay soundlessly. The ominous glow that enveloped the papers dimmed little by little.

Eventually, it dispersed completely into thin air, leaving the item as nothing but a normal book.

The ripped last page, having not been fulfilled in her blood, reverted to its original state: a regular blank piece of paper.

The apartment that had been drowned in the whirling gusts and dreadful voices was now completely silent. Outside the balcony, the silver moon hung brightly in the sky, surrounded by numerous glistening stars.

Without warning, the night was back to its original tranquil state, as if the chaos had never occurred in the first place.

_Drip. Drip._

Amidst tattered apartment, Lune Kim sat silent with the broken vessel. Her body was covered in blood and the missing skin her arm revealed a fresh wound with blood flowing out continuously, expanding in a web-like pattern. However, the sound of dripping liquid was not from her injuries.

One droplet after another, translucent tears splattered onto the floor, creating darkened stains on the tiles.

"It's gone. All gone..." Lune Kim hunched over as she pulled the notebook closer to her chest. Her quivering voice soon erupted into a heart wrenching sob, reverberating through silent air.

"Just, just let me die," she cowered, scrunching her body into a small ball, as though the pain only reached her now. "Please... Just let me _die_."

There was a protruding sense of despair, a overwhelming devastation in her voice that Clarity felt her heart twinge with pain.

The pain didn't stem from pity or guilt, but instead, it came from a faint realization that Clarity experienced when she first saw Lune Kim. The more she involved herself with her, the stronger the sense of realization grew.

It was a fearful thought, a tainted realization. It was something she wanted to drag her mind away from.

She had avoided digging into the feeling until now, but Clarity knew deep down what it was:

Clarity saw her own reflection in Lune Kim.

In the girl's state of agony, Clarity saw herself.

It was a glimpse of herself before she travelled to the other world, before she met all the members of Bangtan, before she experienced the countless events as a member of Bangtan Co. The existence of Lune Kim in this world was like a shadow, an unspoken consequence of darkness. If Clarity didn't meet the people in the other world, could she have also turned out like this? At that moment, an unprecedented coldness surrounded her as she came to an answer.

In the same situation, Clarity wasn't confident that she would persevere against the darkness, that she would end up differently than Lune Kim.

That was what scared her.

"It's all over. There's nothing left. There's no purpose to living..." Lune Kim's sobs waned as she stared blankly at the ground. "...I want to die."

"What nonsense."

Taehyung's cold voice pierced through the silence, causing both Lune and Clarity to lift their heads.

There was an unspoken rage behind his dark eyes that warmed the air like a sea of flames.

"The purpose of life comes from living. You will never be able to comprehend that if you give up on your life." He looked at her. "Do not abandon yourself."

At that moment a single ray of moonlight shone through the balcony, casting a curtain of silver over the three of them.

"The world is cruel, but you're not the only one suffering. And you never will be." Taehyung's eyes held the entire galaxy as he shifted his gaze from Lune Kim to Clarity. His next words spread through her mind like the emerging sun after a somber day:

"We're all trying to survive."

The room was quiet, the only audible sound being Lune muffled cries. The girl clenched her chest as tears drenched the ground below her. Eventually, the sobs—along with the pain, sadness, and fatigue—faded into the air, slipping away with her consciousness as Lune Kim fell silent.

At the girl's fragile state, Clarity swallowed as she turned towards Taehyung uneasily. The latter, noticing her apprehension, pressed two fingers to the side of Lune Kim's neck. After a few seconds, he lifted his head.

"She's still breathing." He told Clarity, and she sighed in relieve.

"Taehyung," she pursed her lips with a hint of hesitation.

After a small pause, Clarity smiled at him through glossy eyes. What she was about to tell him may come as odd, like a wrong message at the wrong time, but Clarity said it anyway:

“I love you."

Light glossed over Taehyung's widened eyes, and at that moment, concepts like logic and timing no longer mattered as their figures reflected in each other’s eyes. The black-haired man smiled back in his signature box-smile.

“I love you, too."

The faint sound of police sirens blared in the distance, reaching their ears from the outside.

"The police should be here in a few minutes," Clarity said, steadying herself back on her feet and dusting her crinkled clothing.

At that, her eyes swept across the apartment, taking in the horrendous state of the area. Below her was a floor glazed in blood, around her was displaced furnitures, and beside her laid an unconscious high-school girl and a world-wide superstar.

Clarity fell deep in thought.

How were they going to explain this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter: sunday


	51. Return

Just as Clarity contemplated on what to do, a light breeze poured into the room.

Both Clarity and Taehyung turned their heads towards the balcony. A small figure sat on the railings, his outline emitting a dim silver under the moonlight.

It was "Yeontan"!

"Congratulations for breaking past the loop." Although his mouth did not move, both Clarity and Taehyung could hear the sonorous voice echoing in their mind.

As he spoke, "Yeontan" casually lifted his paw, swiping sideways the empty space in front of him.

Everything in the room instantly distorted in response to his swift motion, and within seconds, the room had returned to its original state.

Staring wide-eyed at the spotless apartment, Clarity casted her gaze on the spot beside the couch. Laying soundless beside the furniture, the blood soaked notebook slowly dissipated into the air, dispersing like particles carried by the silent breeze.

"What's going to happen to them?" Taehyung held a stoic expression, not too fazed by the magical events unfolding before his eyes.

His gaze steered towards the unconscious Lune Kim and the girl behind the counter.

"Nothing. They shall wake up with no recollections of tonight, withholding only the memories up until the moment of the ritual." Licking his paw, "Yeontan" sat steadily on the metal railing.

"...I see." He said curtly, his eyes softening. "It's for the best."

Clarity agreed with a faint nod.

Another breeze swept past them, lifting a piece of paper into the air. It was the last page of the notebook, the one that Lune Kim had ripped out. The blank page was the key to the transmigration ritual's success, but after the rest of the notebook disappeared, it became nothing more than a normal blank paper.

The piece of white fluttered past Clarity and Taehyung, landing in front of the being by the balcony. "Yeontan"'s dark orbs peered towards the paper, inciting a strange glow from the thin paper.

First, the page grew thicker in width, transforming into the thickness of an electronic tablet. Thin lines soon divided the width into numerous smaller layers, and before they knew it, the single blank page had once again formed a complete notebook.

With a tilt of his head, "Yeontan" made the notebook fly towards Clarity's direction, landing securely on her palm. The book cover, facing up, had four large words printed on the surface.

**_TO BE HIS POSSESSION._ **

Clarity's heart jolted at the familiar title. Reflectively, her palms grew sweaty as she instinctively glanced towards Taehyung, who shared her bewildered reaction.

"A souvenir," "Yeontan" said amusingly before adding, "Don't worry. It's just the normal fanfiction. Print edition, too."

"..."

Clarity and Taehyung exchanged a glance at the dog's teasing attitude, simultaneously sharing the thought of pushing him down the balcony.

The only difference was that while the former simply thought of the possibility, the latter was already lunging towards the railings.

"Yeontan" visibly stiffened as he sensed a menacing aura oozing out of the black haired man as he inched closer and closer, as if reaching for his prey.

As he was about to reach for the dog, however, Taehyung suddenly felt a tugging at his consciousness as he halted in his movements.

His surroundings grew hazy as the man stumbled a bit, subconsciously stepping back to steady himself.

"Taehyung!" Clarity cried as she rushed forth to grab onto him.

She glared towards the railings, thinking that it was the dog who did this. However, her eyes widened after seeing that "Yeontan" was also growing translucent.

"It looks like gate is going to close." The small puppy nodded to himself, then lifted his head. "He is going to return to where he belongs. After all, his soul was not supposed to be here. Hm, yes... I suppose I should get going too."

"Wait!" Clarity said quickly as she grabbed a random piece of paper on the table and started scribbling down some notes.

The last thing she wanted was for the real Taehyung to wake up, only to find himself in an unknown apartment with two unconscious girls and the police.

After noting down the relevant information for the police, she helped Taehyung onto his feet as the two exited Lune Kim's apartment. Before she closed the door, Clarity remembered to slip her concert ticket that she had decided to give to Lune Kim beside the notes on the table.

To avoid Taehyung being under the cameras, they exited through the discreet back doors, the same place where they had entered.

Outside once again, Clarity lifted her head towards the night sky, only to realize that there was an additional shadow that overlapped the full moon. Unlikely its usual silver brilliance, the moon was veiled in a reddish glow.

Without further ado, Clarity turned towards "Yeontan," whose presence was growing fainter by the second.

"Send me back to that world, too," she said, looking towards Taehyung as she took his hand into hers.

At her statement, "Yeontan" contemplated a few seconds before speaking, "You don't belong in that world."

"I don't belong here, either."

"If you forcibly go back, you'll lose contact with this world completely. Your physical body would be gone, indicating a permanent severance with this world."

Clarity was unfazed at his words as she nodded, her eyes glowing with resolve. “My place is not here."

"Clarity..." Despite Taehyung's weakened state, he smiled faintly at her words and gave her hands a firm squeeze.

Round eyes shifting between the two, "Yeontan" remained silent for awhile before letting out a slow exhale.

"Is this your final answer?" he asked.

"Yes," Clarity answered.

"Then wake up."

Immediately following "Yeontan"'s matter-of-fact statement, a blinding tunnel of light enveloped them.

With a smile, Clarity accepted her blurring vision as she stole a final glance towards the black haired man beside her, taking in his reassuring smile.

Fingers intertwined, the two faded into the light.

* * *

When Clarity opened her eyes, she knew she was back.

Staring blankly at the hospital ceiling, her vision took a few seconds to adjust to the brightness of the room. Synthesized beeps rang in her ears. They belonged to the medical machine positioned beside her bed.

From the peripheral of her vision, she saw Jungkook, Jimin and Yinn gaping. The former was in the middle of peeling an apple into the shape of bunnies as he held the handle of the fruit knife, dumbfounded.

Before Jungkook could say anything, he was pushed aside by the older member who rushed forth, his shocked expression filling Clarity's field of view.

"You're awake!" Jimin exclaimed.

"Miss Clarity!" Yinn's voice echoed in the background, immediately followed by the sound of clattering against the ground.

Clarity didn't have to see to know that Jungkook had dropped the knife.

"I, I'll go call the doctor!" The youngest's voice boomed as he dashed out the door, flinging it open behind him with force comparable to a whirlwind.

While Jungkook was out in the corridors, Jimin and Yinn quickly sat beside Clarity's ward bed as they gazed at her with emotional eyes.

It was then that Clarity faintly realized that there was something off about them.

Jimin's silver hair was no longer silver, but brushed back in a ombré brown. On the side of his face, which seemed a bit slimmer, was a highlight strand of blonde. He was dressed in a simple black suit, which seemed too formal for Jimin's usual sense of fashion.

Yinn Naron, on the other hand, had her hair tied up in a high ponytail. The uniformed bangs that used to frame her face grew longer, falling loose against her cheeks as side bangs. She was in a light pink blouse, making her seem more like a background office worker rather than the previous female protagonist.

She wanted to ask them why the drastic change in appearance, but she realized that she could barely move a muscle, let alone activate her vocal chords. It felt as though someone had piled a box of clothes on her chest, making it hard to breath normally.

"We knew you would wake up," Yinn said with a sniffle. "We never lost hope!"

If she could move her facial features right now, Clarity would be frowning immensely at their dramatic response. Instead, she vaguely narrowed her eyes to express her confusion.

Jimin, noticing her puzzlement, glanced around nervously. Eventually, he dropped his hands to the side, and Clarity's pupils shrunk at his next words.

"Miss Clarity." He said breathily, hesitation tugging by his throat as he forced himself to continue. "You've been asleep for half an year."

* * *

In less than an hour after Clarity's awakening, she was surrounded by the members of Bangtan, who have rushed here immediately fear hearing the news from their youngest.

It took her the longest time to wrap her head around the fact that she had fell into a coma for over six months. After all, she and Taehyung have only spent less than three days in her original world.

_Since the last transmigration from the Auction Day, I knew that there was a time disruption between the two worlds, but to think it would be this severe..._

After she calmed down from the shock, Clarity had Namjoon and the others update her on everything that happened during her coma, starting from the confrontation with Senyu.

According to Hoseok and Yoongi, they had noticed the arrival of the other members while flying around on the helicopter, which was why the latter had told Taehyung to jump down the tower. Thanks to Seokjin's preplanned reinforcements, Clarity and Taehyung ended up falling onto an enormous rescue mattress that Namjoon had set up after calculating the progression of the situation.

"One's brave enough to tell you to jump, and the other’s crazy enough to follow his advice," Seokjin sighed, shoving his glasses down his chest pocket as his eyes swept from Suga to Clarity. "You really lucked out. Although you and Taehyung suffered injuries and fainted on the spot, it was thanks to Namjoon that the two of you were even able to come out of this alive."

He seemed to be growing out his hair, for it was now covering the back of his neck in a mullet-like manner. Leaning by the walls beside Seokjin, Yoongi scoffed as he strolled by the windows.

At the two men's reactions, Namjoon shook his head as he continued his explanation.

"Thanks to Miss Yinn's information regarding the drug transaction, Senyu was pulled under investigation soon after. The business company had gone bankrupt and the mafia sectors were forced to disband after Senyu's CEO’s capture by the police."

"That reminds me—the old man acted odd. After the building exploded, he fainted on the spot immediately and when he woke up, the man seemed to have forgotten everything. He denied everything that happened for the past months." Yoongi tapped his chin lightly, pursing his lips in annoyance. "If I didn't witness that shit myself, I might have even believed his blatant lie.”

Taking in his descriptions, Clarity soon reached an preliminary conclusion on what had happened.

Since she and Taehyung managed to end the transmigration loop, that meant the Lune Kim who had transmigrated to this world was forcibly chased out of Bang Si-Hyuk's body by the closing gates, since she didn't belong here in the first place.

On the other hand, Clarity was able to return here partly due to the powers of the being who looked like Yeontan, but also because the existence of the Secretary in this world had been a placeholder for transmigrators in the first place.

She let out an awkward laugh, only to wince at the pain that scratched at her throat.

"Actually..." she said with her raspy voice, turning towards the confused Yoongi. "The CEO's telling the truth."

She caught the members up with everything that she and Taehyung experienced in the other world, including the ritual, the transmigration loop, and the meeting with "Yeontan." Needless to say, the entire group was flabbergasted during the entirety of her explanation.

A long silence followed her finished recount. Amidst the gaping faces, Hoseok was the first to speak up.

"Wait, so Taehyung transmigrated with you? He managed to visit your world?" He blinked, eyes wide like a squirrel.

"...That's not fair." Jimin pouted. "I also want to visit Miss Clarity's world."

"Easy. I'll talk to the dog, Yeontan—was that his name? Hm, doesn't matter. I'll talk to him and we can go on a company trip. After all, no one can resist my charisma, even if he's a dog—I mean, higher being." Seokjin nodded to himself. "A transmigration company trip. Hm, sounds good."

Clarity was about to call the man out on his usual bullshit, but she realized that she actually kind of missed Seokjin's nonsensical deadpans. Sighing with a smile, she decided to let it go this time.

She then perked up as a thought occurred to her.

"Is Taehyung's room nearby?" she asked before mumbling to herself. "He probably can't visit me right now, so could you tell him that I'll go bother him instead once I could stand? The man must be bored out of his mind."

Unlike her, Taehyung wasn't one to stay in one spot. This had been the case even back at the Bangtan mansion. Whenever she worked on her documents as the secretary of Bangtan Co, the man would always linger in her room, instigating small, random acts to draw her attention.

With a helpless smile, she looked down at her current state. Even with light injuries, her muscles had shrivelled from being asleep for so long, so she imagined it to be even worse for Taehyung, who had taken a bullet to the arm and suffered from blood loss. She planned to visit him once she could walk.

_As well as tease him on his restricted freedom._

Clarity added the last part inwardly and nodded to herself. Indulged in her future plans, she failed to notice that the group had collectively tensed at her question.

They glanced left and right at each other, but none of them said a word. The one that broke that silence was Bangtan’s strategist.

"...Miss Clarity," Namjoon spoke cautiously, as thought every word was dragged out with great contemplation.

"Taehyung did not wake up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow we’re really close to the end!
> 
> next update: wednesday


	52. Welcome Home

" _The Secretary pushed forth, stating her stance against Y/N's membership in Bangtan Co. She planned to stop you from joining no matter what. Ignoring your trembling eyes, she stood up straight and turned to Seokjin, who was leaning on the backrest with a stoic expression._

" " _Sir," she said. "There is a chance that she is a bait laid out by Senyu. We can not let her join us. The risk is too high!"_

" _Before she could add on, Taehyung cut her off with a sharp glare._

_" "You're Seokjin's guard, and your blunder trying to kill Y/N almost caused Seokjin to be injured." His low voice sent a wave of chills throughout the conference room. "Your current words hold no value to us."_

_At his statement, The Secretary merely stared back flatly, without a ripple in her vehement gaze. The conversation had reached a stalemate, with neither sides willing to submit_."

Clarity closed the book with a shake of her head. Four words— _To Be His_ _Possession_ —filled the cover of the leather surface as she placed the book on the bedside counter.

"When I first read that chapter, I loved it because it was peak satisfaction. But if you glared at me in real life, I would cry right there." Brushing her short hair back, she turned around, towards the person on the bed. "But you wouldn't do that, right?"

Of course, Taehyung did not responded.

His eyes were serenely shut, bringing emphasis to his long lashes, pink lips, and smooth facial structure that gave him an appearance of a doll. Clarity bit down on her lips, mustering a faint smile.

A month had passed since her return to this world, and seven months have passed since Taehyung fell into a coma.

It took her over a month to readjust to normal life, and to redevelop her dying muscles and physical strength. Now that she could complete most of the daily tasks independently, she was finally getting discharged next week.

She sat in the chair beside Taehyung's bed and lifted a hand to caress his face.

"If the fake Yeontan ever appears again, I'll roast that dog-looking thing..." she muttered to herself.

The moment she relearned to walk, Clarity had been coming to Taehyung's ward everyday to talk to him. She spoke about all types of things, from the weather to the latest gossips among the Bangtan members. She did this mainly to keep herself grounded, but also because the doctors had suggested daily conversations to keep the patient's living environment...well, alive.

"It's been kind of boring without you." She sighed, taking in the cool sensation of Taehyung's cheeks as her fingers lightly brushed a strand of black hair away from his face. "Jimin and Jungkook's been feeding me some horrifying stuff. They call it desserts, but I don't believe them. It's almost on par with the poisonous cookies that Yinn tried to kill me with. Just almost."

At that moment, the door across from her creaked open, and Yinn Naron poked her head into the room. Upon seeing Clarity's presence, she immediately waved at her with a smile and strolled in with a basket of fruits in her hand. After she set them on the table, the brown-haired girl turned to observe the person on the bed.

"He's looking better," she said, scrutinizing him from top to bottom. "It shouldn't be long before he wakes up."

Clarity didn't rebuke her statement, but deep down, they both knew that was not the case.

In half-an-year's time, Taehyung's cheeks have slimmed drastically, and his solid build had shrunken with the dissipation his muscles. As a result, his current appearance was comparable to a vulnerable, malnourished child.

A warm ray of sunshine seeped through the curtains, cascading shadows onto his bed like a flight of stairs.

"Thank you for taking care of Taehyung during this time." Clarity turned to Yinn with a smile.

Although the members visited the ward frequently, there were inevitable times where they also needed to take care of problems in Bangtan Co. During their absence, Yinn had spent the majority of her time at the hospital so she could immediately notify the members of any abnormalities.

"It's the least I could do." Yinn shrugged a small smile, then blinked as if she suddenly remembered something. "Have the doctors said anything else regarding his condition?"

Clarity shook her head. "They say it's a miracle that he's holding on, but you know how doctors are, always leaning towards the worst case scenario. Either way, even they were unsure when he was going to wake up."

A silence dawned upon the two of them. Amidst the room warmed by the sun, Yinn swallowed subconsciously as she mustered an optimistic tone. "If they don't know, then that means anything is possible. I'm sure it'll be soon!"

At the brown-haired girl's attempt to cheer her up, Clarity nodded with a faint smile.

After chatting for some time, the two decided to head downstairs to the lobby to meet up with Seokjin, Namjoon and Jimin to have lunch. Before leaving the room, Clarity opened all the curtains in the room to fill the room with vibrancy. That way, even if Taehyung woke up during this time, the first thing that would confront him wouldn't be darkness.

Stealing a final glance at the sleeping man, Clarity closed the door between them.

* * *

TWO WEEKS LATER.

In an oversized hoodie, Clarity leaned back leisurely in the arm chair as she swiftly cut the plate of strawberries in small chunks, positioning them into a pretty-pattered formation.

After that was done, she took the book from the counter with familiarity and read out loud another chapter of _To Be_ _His Possession._

"Did you know? I picked up this fanfiction from the beginning because Jin was my bias in BTS. It was my dream to see him in person, to witness his stage in the other world...

"Come to think of it, my ultimate goal was to marry him, although that was out the window after meeting you in this world." She paused, lips curling up mischievously. "If you don't wake up soon, I might just take back that dream. After all, I now personally know Jin's counterpart in this world. And he's good looking, too."

Taehyung, with his eyes peacefully closed, laid like a renaissance painting. Naturally, he did not respond to Clarity's comments, but the latter paid it no mind.

Laughing inwardly at her own pettiness, Clarity closed the book threw it back into the counter drawer. She had scheduled a meeting with Namjoon to visit the doctors together for an update on Taehyung's condition.

After she left the room, the space once again fell into stillness. As usual, the only audible noise was the systematic beeps of the heart monitor and the occasional muffled laughter outside the hospital window. Everything laid unmoving, like a frozen lake from a quiet night—well, almost everything.

As usual, the black haired man laid motionlessly, his back sinking onto the white mattress. His eyes were restfully closed, his breathing steady, and his fingers—

There was an indiscernible twitch from his fingers.

The frozen lake rippled.

* * *

The meeting, having taken longer than expected, lasted until late afternoon. By the time Clarity and Namjoon were finished, the sun had already made itself half way past the horizon.

"Are you going back to the hospital?" Namjoon asked, earning an affirmative nod from the short haired girl.

"I'll go hang out with Taehyung so he does not get bored," she said, half jokingly.

Namjoon let out a chuckle. "I wish I could visit him with you, but I have a meeting with Jungkook regarding an upcoming company conference. Please give Taehyung my kind regards and tell him I will go see him soon."

"Sounds good, I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

After the two parted, Clarity made her way back to the hospital. Along the way, she took in the peaceful scene of people chatting by the benches, children running on the grass fields, couples strolling around the area. The different parts of the area, merging with the setting sun, formed a beautiful picture filled with beige, orange and red.

Clarity stared at the heartwarming sight, her heart filling with a sense of melancholy.

After walking around for awhile, she arrived at the hospital. Standing in front of the door to Taehyung's room, Clarity stopped, took a deep breath, and turned the handle.

The moment she opened the door, she was blinded by a brilliant glow that poured in from the curtain-less windows. Positioned directly through the window was the presence of the descending sun, projecting majestic rays of light into the room.

It took her eyes a few seconds to adjust to the lighting of the room, and by the time her vision focused, Clarity froze.

As if in slow motion, the coffee in her hand dropped onto the ground as its contents splashed all around her feet. Her hand burned from the hot liquid, her breath hitched in her throat, and her heart pounded wildly, as if attempting to rip her chest open. However, Clarity paid no attention to any of that as her eyes solely focused on glowing silhouette in the room.

Sitting up against the bed, Taehyung's body was turned towards the setting sun. One of his skinny arms lifted to his face to block the sunlight as his face scrunched slightly, making him seem like child who had just awaken from his nap.

At the noise Clarity made, he turned towards her direction. For a second, he stared at her with a sense of foreignness, as though she was an intruder in his room. During this silent exchange, Clarity held her breath unknowingly as she embraced for the worst.

After what seemed like an interminable silence, Taehyung retracted his gaze, and Clarity felt her heart drop. Taking in her reaction, the corner of his lips twitched as his stoic face expanded into a familiar smile.

Holding out both of his arms, Taehyung called out to her in his usual deep voice, filling her heart with an indescribable sense of comfort:

" _Clarity, I'm back._ "

* * *

  
"Taehyung!"

Tucking _To Be His Possession_ in her loot bag, Clarity packed up the rest of their belongings in the personal hospital ward and poked her head over to the occupied washroom across the room.

Two months have passed since Taehyung's awakening, and today was the day of his release from the hospital.

As she took one final sweep of the room to check if she missed anything, the washroom doors opened. With movements that were still slightly jagged, Taehyung slowly stepped out, grinning as Clarity approached him from the other side of the room.

"You still can't move around too much!" She scolded, rolling the wheelchair right before his feet as she gestured him to sit down.

"I can walk just fine now." Pushing the wheelchair aside, Taehyung moved around his legs and arms to demonstrate to Clarity the fruits of his rehabilitation.

Thanks to his well developed physiques, Taehyung's rehab progressed smoother than expected, and with efficient results he healed much quicker than normal people. According to the doctors, it would have taken an average person anywhere from six months to years to recover from a long coma and return their everyday lives.

Unconvinced by his words, Clarity pouted and clung onto one of his arms, forcibly dragging him down to the wheelchair seat. As she did that, the loot bag that hung on her left shoulder slipped down to her elbow, unraveling its insides to Taehyung's eyes.

"Why do you still read that book about the characters when the real ones are right in front of you?" He frowned, subconsciously narrowing his eyes at the hard copy fanfiction in her bag.

Clarity arched an eyebrow in amusement as she observed his reaction.

"Jealousy sure comes easy," she teased, ignoring Taehyung's unamused stare. "Don't tell me you're still mad at me for saying that I would go find Seokjin while you were unconscious..."

"I was not unconscious," Taehyung retorted. "I couldn't talk or move, but I could hear everything. _Everything_."

Not waiting for Clarity to think of an excuse, he continued on, crossing his arms as he leaned on the wheelchair backrest.

"And ever since I caught a glimpse of your world, the one you used to live in, I've been thinking a bit differently. In that world, Bangtan really was different. They sing, dance, and save a lot of people. Like heroes."

He glanced at Clarity, this time with a hint of hesitation in his handsome face.

"...Are you really okay with giving up that world?"

Despite the serious tone in his question, Clarity couldn't help let out a soft laugh. She pressed her hands on the sides of the wheelchair armrests, bending over slightly so she was face to face with the sitting Taehyung.

"What are you saying?" Leaning forward, she pecked him on the nose, then looked at him with glistening eyes. "My world is right in front of me."

At that moment, a crumpling sound interrupted them, causing Clarity and Taehyung to turn simultaneously towards the entrance.

In front of the door stood none other than Yoongi, pressing his lips into a thin line as the bouquet of flowers that had been in his hand plopped helplessly onto the ground. He parted his lips a few times, but ultimately decided to swallow the words down his throat.

After long pause, he picked up the flowers with an resigned sigh.

"Congratulations on your discharge. The car's already outside." He turned to Taehyung, lips slightly curved as he smacked the man on the head. "Everyone's waiting at home."

At his words, Clarity and Taehyung looked at each other, exchanging a smile as they followed Yoongi out the door.

A warm breeze swept past, carrying her short hair into the wind as Clarity hopped out of the Hyundai Palisade. Blooming vivaciously in the summer, the cherry blossom tree stood high above the hill as its petals fluttered all around them, creating cascade of pink.

Majestic front gates, window filled front view, cherry blossom—the vibrant scene reflected in her eyes with great familiarity, causing a ripple in her heart.

Already waiting in front of the mansion was everyone from Bangtan Co.; Hoseok and Jimin were the first to caught her eyes with their colourful hair. The former grinned brightly like the sun while the latter held a wine bottle in his hand as he pumped his arm into the air; Namjoon and Yinn waved widely towards them while Jungkook swung a huge clear bag in the air. The insides of the bag seemed to be filled with various types of cookies.

Seokjin was the first to greet them as he walked towards the front gate. With a wide smile, he performed a complicated handshake with Taehyung and then tossed to Clarity the keys to the Bangtan mansion.

"Clarity, our Miss Secretary." He held out his arms, as if referring to the space all around them. "Welcome home."

Above them was the vast blue sky, hanging over their heads as a witness of this moment in time.

Beside her, Taehyung held her hand tightly, embracing her with the warmness of his palm. The sensation of his touch, the sight of the laughing members, and the liveliness of summer mixed in with the floral scent of cherry blossoms...

Clarity smiled.

What she thought to be a shitty fanfiction world turned out to be a masterpiece, after all.

[THE END]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> author's note and reflection will be in the next part and will be updated tmrw so pls look out for that :)
> 
> thank you for reading code v


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